Airlines cancel Vietnam-Middle East flights amid escalating conflict

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said that as of 4:00 pm on Sunday (Vietnam time), aviation operations across the Middle East had become increasingly complicated and unpredictable as the conflict intensified.

A number of countries have issued notices to airmen announcing full or partial airspace closures to ensure flight safety.

Iran has closed its airspace entirely, with reopening expected no earlier than 3:30 pm on Tuesday, while Israel has also imposed a full closure until at least 5:00 pm the same day.

Syria’s airspace remains completely shut, with a tentative reopening time of 4:00 am on Tuesday.

The United Arab Emirates has partially closed its airspace, with emergency security control of air traffic zones restricted until 7:00 pm on Monday.

Jordan has adopted cautious and limited openings while reviewing conditions on an hourly basis.

Iraq has implemented a full airspace closure, with the reopening timeline under continuous review and likely subject to extension.

Meanwhile, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain have announced full airspace closures.

Several major international airports in the region, including Dubai International Airport and Hamad International Airport in Doha, have also announced indefinite suspensions of operations.

Due to Qatar’s airspace closure, Qatar Airways has canceled flights between Vietnam and Doha from Saturday to Monday.

In Hanoi, five flights have been scrapped, affecting 1,565 passengers, while in Ho Chi Minh City, four flights have been called off, impacting 992 passengers.

The airline has set up support counters at airports, directly notified affected travelers, and implemented ticket rebooking and refund policies in accordance with regulations.

Following the partial closure of UAE airspace, Emirates has temporarily suspended all flights to Dubai until 6:00 pm on Monday.

The disruption has affected three flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Dubai, with 1,117 passengers impacted, two flights between Hanoi and Dubai, affecting 725 passengers, and one flight from Da Nang to Bangkok connecting onward to Dubai, impacting 39 passengers.

Emirates has directly notified customers of cancellations and introduced flexible rebooking options within 10 days, along with refund policies in line with existing regulations.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines has canceled several flights to Middle Eastern destinations.

However, its services to and from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City continue to operate normally, with no delays or cancellations reported due to the regional airspace disruptions.

On Saturday, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones in response to the initial attacks from the U.S. and Israel, targeting U.S. troops in the region and cities in Israel and Arab countries allied with Washington and leading to widespread flight cancellations in the region, Reuters reported.

Israel and the U.S. had timed their attack on Iran on the same day to coincide with a meeting the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was holding with top aides, according to two U.S. sources and a U.S. official familiar with the matter. Iran later confirmed Khamenei's death in the attack. 

The U.S. and Israeli military strikes across Iran have pushed the Middle East into a new and unpredictable conflict.