Flights from London to Dubai and Doha have been cancelled after Donald Trump ordered a US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.
It comes after a British Airways (BA) flight from London Heathrow to Dubai was diverted to Zurich on Saturday night.
The BA109 flight departed from the UK at 9.53pm on Saturday and reached Saudi Arabia before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner changed its course, landing in Switzerland, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
All of the airline’s flights to Dubai and Doha that were scheduled to depart from Heathrow on Sunday have been cancelled, including return flights, the company said.
Israel announced on Sunday that it had closed its airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the US attacks.
The US struck three nuclear sites in Iran overnight prompting Tehran to launch a retaliatory ballistic missile barrage against Israel. The escalation followed days of intensifying hostilities between Iran and Israel, with the United States now formally drawn into the conflict.
President Trump, in a late-night address, said the Iranian sites had been “obliterated” and warned Tehran to either “make peace or face greater tragedy”. Iran has vowed “everlasting consequences” in response. Its Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran “reserves all options” in its response to what it called an “outrageous” and “criminal” US act.
Iran has since requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and suggested that all US personnel in the region are now legitimate targets. While the US has stated no further strikes are planned for now, President Trump warned: “Now is the time for peace. If Iran does not stop immediately, there will be more.”
The UK government has not commented directly on the US airstrikes, but Keir Starmer reiterated Britain’s stance that “Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon” and called for all parties to return to the negotiating table.
In a statement about the travel disruption, British Airways said: “As a result of recent events, we have adjusted our flight schedule to ensure the safety of our customers and crew, which is always our top priority.
“We are contacting our customers to advise them of their options while we work through this developing situation.”
BA is offering a flexible booking policy for customers already booked onto flights to Dubai and Doha between Sunday and Tuesday who wish to change their dates of travel.
