A time-lapse video released by flight tracking service Flight Radar has shown how commercial aircraft fled the Iranian airspace after Israel launched air raids targetting the Islamic Republic's military and nuclear establishment.
The nine-second video shows the airspace on Iranian and Iraqi airspace empty up to avoid Israeli missiles and drones that decimated Iraqi nuclear facilities.
Flights diverted, suspended
Many flight services were disrupted, including that of Air India Mumbai-London which had to make a mid-air return after leaving for its destination.
Air India said it is diverting flights and returning some to origin "due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and given the safety of our passengers". As per the airlines, it diverted 11 flights and returned five to their origin after Iran closed its airspace.
The Dubai airport, a major transit airport, also stated that some flights at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) were cancelled or delayed. While Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport City closed indefinitely, Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv also stopped flights.
Israel moves its flights
Israeli flag carrier El Al Airlines was the first to announce that it was moving some of its planes out of the country. Israeli carrier Israir said it was also evacuating its planes from Tel Aviv's airport, which it said was expected to remain closed through the weekend.
However, many global airlines had already halted flights to and from Tel Aviv after a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel landed near the airport on May 4.