Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon have reopened their airspace after closing it due to Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attacks on Israel, Al Jazeera Balkans reports.
Jordanian state television announced on Sunday that the country had resumed air traffic operations, citing aviation authorities. The opening of its airspace came more than three hours earlier than planned.
Lebanon said its airport would resume operations after being closed overnight, state television reported.
Iraqi aviation authorities said the security risks have now been overcome.
Meanwhile, Israel also reopened its airspace from 7:30 am (04:30 GMT) on Sunday, adding that flight schedules from Tel Aviv were expected to be affected.
The airline El Al announced that it has resumed operations and is “working to stabilize the flight schedule as soon as possible.”
“El Al will continue to operate as much as possible to preserve the air bridge to and from Israel,” it is stated.
Late on Saturday night, Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel – its first direct attack on Israeli territory in a retaliatory strike that raises the threat of a wider regional conflict.
Tehran has vowed to retaliate for what it says is an Israeli attack on Iran’s consulate compound in Damascus last week, which killed a senior commander in the overseas Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and six other officers.
Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, has prepared air defenses to intercept any drones or missiles that violate its territory, two regional security sources told the Reuters news agency.
Jordan said it intercepted some flying objects that entered its airspace last night to ensure the safety of its citizens, according to a government statement.
“During that time, some shrapnel fell in several places, without causing significant damage or any injuries to citizens,” it is added.
Reaction to the Iranian attacks was swift, with many countries describing the attacks as a serious escalation, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the region.
The attacks come amid Israel’s ongoing war against Gaza, which shows no signs of abating despite numerous mediation efforts.
Meanwhile, global airlines have also been canceling flights and changing routes following the Iranian attack.
Emirates, based in the United Arab Emirates, has announced the cancellation of some of its flights and the rerouting of others, a spokesman for the airline said.
“We are carefully monitoring the situation and making every effort to ensure minimal disruption for customers following the recent closure of the airspace,” said the airline’s spokesperson.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways canceled flights to Jordan and Israel on Sunday, the airline said in a statement.
Swiss International Air Lines has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice, the airline said in a announcement at Platform X on Sunday.
Swiss, which is owned by German carrier Lufthansa, said all its planes were avoiding Iran, Iraq and Israel airspace, causing delays to flights from India and Singapore.
