<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Closed airspace across the Middle East has plunged travel plans into chaos around Australia and the world.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates closed their skies hours after the United States and Israel </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-launch-attack-on-iran-live-updates-us-begins-major-combat-operations--israel-launches-attack-on-irans-capital/2a7ce3d3-dbba-413c-9053-397468cc6bec" rel="" target="_blank" title="launched strikes on Iran"><span>launched strikes on Iran</span></a><span>, which resulted in numerous flight cancellations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian travellers across the nation and abroad have been left stranded as a result, including Penny Milton who has been stuck in Qatar for hours.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-launch-attack-on-iran-live-updates-us-begins-major-combat-operations--israel-launches-attack-on-irans-capital/2a7ce3d3-dbba-413c-9053-397468cc6bec"><strong><span>Iran supreme leader, 'one of the most evil people in history', is dead: Trump</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/israels-defence-minister-says-his-country-has-attacked-iran-and-declares-a-state-of-emergency/cf1d7de7-7078-4232-9219-920759c85f2b" target="" title="Iran launches unprecedented retaliatory attacks"><strong><span>Iran launches unprecedented retaliatory attacks</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Milton told Today her flight was almost in Iraqi air space when the pilot made an announcement to passengers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He said the airspace is closed, at which point I thought 'something's happened, something serious has happened'," Milton said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australian-flights-to-middle-eastern-diruptions-airspace-closures/5c77fb0b-c942-4669-8f69-7f29d8952cc9" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's been no information, we were waiting for the airspace to be open again.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"So we just wait, there's lots of people here waiting."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A traveller who was left stranded at Perth Airport after flights to Doha were cancelled said the change in plans had left her overstaying her visa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're all stuck here, but the big issue is myself and other passengers, our visas run out in Australia today and we're all basically illegal immigrants," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/us-israel-strike-on-iran-footage-of-drones-in-dubai/e3fd2380-3cbd-424c-a2c9-df63ac5979e2" rel="" target="" title="Dubai hotel damaged in explosion as debris rains down on city"><strong><span>Dubai hotel damaged in explosion as debris rains down on city</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>EXPLAINER:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/iran-strikes-israel-usa-following-nuclear-talks-how-it-reached-this-point/f2628aa6-b240-4dc7-8cf2-94ec6addbe6e" target="" title="Why is Trump bombing Iran? Full military strike comes days after talks stall"><strong><span>Why is Trump bombing Iran? Full military strike comes days after talks stall</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Two flights from the Middle East arrived at Melbourne Airport about 6am today, including one flight from Doha and one flight from Dubai.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One traveller told 9News they felt "a little bit nervous" while the flight was en-route to the Victorian capital.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"When you don't know what's happening and how far away you are from it, if it's in the air, you're in the air too," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A fellow traveller on the flight to Melbourne described the situation as "a little bit scary".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I was just glad that we were on the plane," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nine.com.au understands four Virgin Australia flights operated by Qatar Airways returned to Australia last night due to the closure of Qatari airspace.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This includes flight VA1 from Sydney to Doha, which was diverted to Melbourne due to Sydney curfew.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Flights VA15, VA7 and VA21 were also turned around.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attacks-iran-world-leaders-countries-reactions/27dfca37-6809-4f2c-9d2b-1d2d15da269b" target="" title="'This is not your war': World leaders react"><strong><span>'This is not your war': World leaders react</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the safety of its guests and crew remained its top priority.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, a number of Virgin Australia services operated by Qatar Airways have been cancelled," the spokesperson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Guests scheduled to travel on Virgin Australia services between Australia and Doha in the coming days are advised to closely monitor their flight information and visit the Smartraveller website for the latest travel advice.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We thank everyone for their understanding, and we will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nine.com.au has contacted Qantas for comment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Travellers at Sydney Airport camped out this morning due to the flight cancellations and a lack of accommodation due to last night's popular Mardi Gras celebration.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yesterday flight maps showed the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel and Bahrain virtually empty as Israel said it struck Iran and the US military initiated a series of strikes against targets in the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iran retaliated with a salvo of missiles.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Airlines cancelled almost 40 per cent of flights to Israel and 6.7 per cent of flights to the broader region yesterday, according to preliminary Cirium data.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The United Arab Emirates (UAE), home to both the long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad, closed their airspace on Saturday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The flow on effects were already being felt at Australian airports with the 6am and 6.15am Emirates flights out of Sydney and Melbourne both cancelled.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We apologise to customers affected by disruptions for any inconvenience caused, and we are assisting them with rebooking, refunds, or alternative travel arrangements," Emirates said in a statement to passengers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>Flow on effects all over the globe</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dutch airline KLM already announced earlier in the week that it was suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv starting today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Airlines including Lufthansa, Air France, Transavia, Qatar Airways, and Pegasus have cancelled all flights to Lebanon.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Virgin Atlantic cancelled its flight from Heathrow Airport in London to Dubai and said it would avoid flying over Iraq, meaning flights to and from India, the Maldives and Riyadh could take slightly longer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The airline already was not flying over Iran. Virgin Atlantic said all flights would carry appropriate fuel in case they need to reroute on short notice.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>British Airways said flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain will be suspended until next week, and flights to Amman, Jordan, will be cancelled yesterday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>United Airlines said flights en-route to Tel Aviv and Dubai yesterday morning were either diverted or returned to the US.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The airline cancelled flights between the US and Tel Aviv through Monday and flights between the US and Dubai through Sunday. It issued a travel waiver so passengers can change their flights at no cost.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Turkish Airlines said on X that flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan will be suspended until Monday and flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman would be suspended on Saturday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The airline said additional cancellations may be announced and Kuwait Airways temporarily suspended flights.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kuwait's aviation authority said it was halting all flights to Iran until further notice, according to the state news agency, while Oman Air said it had suspended all flights to Baghdad due to the regional developments.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The European Union's aviation regulator EASA yesterday recommended its airlines stay out of the airspace affected by the on-going military intervention.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Russian Ministry of Transport said yesterday that Russian air carriers had suspended flights to Iran and Israel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Germany's Lufthansa LHAG.DE said it was suspending flights to and from Dubai on Saturday and Sunday and halting temporarily the Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman routes until March 7. Air France cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iberia also cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, while Wizz Air WIZZ.L suspended flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect until the same date, it said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Passengers and airlines can expect airspace to be shut for some time in the region. It's also important to look at the tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan as that will limit airspace even further, said Eric Schouten, head of aviation security advisory Dyami.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"With hostilities now underway, the impact on regional aviation is immediate and highly fluid," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We also anticipate precautionary evacuations or temporary shutdowns at select Gulf airports if the threat envelope expands, which would immediately disrupt key transit hubs," he noted.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Various Indian airlines, including Air India, also suspended flights to the Middle East.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>- Reported with Reuters, Associated Press and CNN.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>