Lebanon, Jordan, Syria reopen airspace amid Israel-Iran conflict, as Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport remains shut
Flights resumed over Lebanese and Jordanian airspace early on Saturday, following temporary closures related to Israel's military escalation against Iran.
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Lebanon announced that flights would resume after they were cancelled due to Israel's attacks on Iran [Getty]
Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria reopened their airspace early on Saturday, amid exchanges of rocket fire and drone attacks between Israel and Iran.
Haitham Misto, the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, said Jordan's airspace was reopened to air traffic at 7:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, the official Petra news agency reported.
This followed a temporary closure of the kingdom’s airspace on Friday, suspending all inbound, outbound, and transiting flights amid escalating regional tensions.
"The Kingdom has not and will not allow its airspace to be breached and will not be a battlefield for any conflict," Government spokesperson Mohammad Al-Momani told AFP amid the closure.
On Friday, Jordan's military announced that drones and missiles fired from Iran towards Israel had been intercepted.
Three Jordanians were reported to have been injured in the northern city of Irbid when shrapnel from projectiles fell on a home. During Israel and Iran's last exchange in October 2024, Jordan also intercepted Israel-bound projectiles fired by Iran.
Following the reopening of airspace on Saturday, Royal Jordanian Airlines confirmed that all scheduled flights as of 8:00 a.m. would proceed until further notice. The airline urged passengers to continue with their travel plans as normal, but to keep up to date with developments.
In Lebanon, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fadi Salame announced on Saturday the reopening of Lebanese airspace at 10:00 a.m.
Salame emphasised that the decision to close the airspace was due to security concerns, with the safety of travellers being a top priority.
Lebanon's flag carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) advised passengers to check their website for the latest updates, adding that it would be rescheduling some flights and would issue a statement shortly.
In Syria, the country's aviation authority also announced the reopening of the country's airspace to civilian aircraft.
Israel, meanwhile, announced on Saturday that Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion will remain closed until further notice, following retaliatory airstrikes by Iran on Israel overnight on Saturday.
"There is no date or day set to reopen the airport," airport spokeswoman Lisa Diver told AFP.
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