By Megan Cheah
Asian airlines are temporarily halting flights to and from the Middle East, after U.S. and Israeli air strikes against Iran disrupted air travel in the region.
Japan Airlines suspended flights between Tokyo and the Qatari capital of Doha due to a worsening situation in the Middle East.
The Japanese airline said Saturday that it wouldn't operate flights between Tokyo and Doha as it couldn't ensure the safety of travel.
Singapore Airlines canceled its two daily flights between the city-state and Dubai from Feb. 28 to March 7, citing the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the flag carrier said Sunday.
Its low-cost subsidiary Scoot also suspended flights to and from Saudi Arabia's Jeddah over the same period.
Cathay Pacific Airways suspended its Middle East services, citing the situation in the region. The Hong Kong-based carrier said it wouldn't operate flights to and from Dubai from Feb. 28 to March 5, as well as flights to and from Saudi Arabia's Riyadh from Feb. 28 to March 3.
Middle Eastern airlines halted all operations as airspace in the region remained closed. Emirates said all operations to and from Dubai would be halted until March 2.
Qatar Airways flights have been suspended as the Qatari airspace is closed, the company said.
Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines canceled flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan until March 2, Yahya Ustun, the airline's senior vice president of communications, said in a Saturday post on X.
Flights on Feb. 28 to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman were canceled, he added.
The airline said that passengers booked on flights to and from the U.A.E., Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia's Dammam and Riyadh from Feb. 28 to March 5 will be granted additional rights, such as requesting for refunds or reservation changes, within a set time period.
Passengers with reservations for flights to and from Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Jordan from Feb. 28 to March 12 will also be allowed to make similar changes.
Air travel in the Middle East ground to a halt after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran local time Saturday.
President Trump said the goal was to "defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime." Iran has since retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. bases across in the Middle East.
Airline operators' stocks broadly fell when markets opened Monday. Singapore Airlines shares shed 5.85%, while Japan Airlines dropped 5.05%. Cathay Pacific declined 4.1%.
--Kosaku Narioka contributed to this article.
Write to Megan Cheah at megan.cheah@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 01, 2026 22:10 ET (03:10 GMT)
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