Airlines avoid Middle East, ground flights as tensions escalate

Carriers including Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Deutsche Lufthansa are among the companies that changed their routes and schedules, as the industry monitors the situation in the Middle East.

Abu Dahbi-based airline Etihad Airways said it grounded its Wednesday service to Tel Aviv in Israel and rerouted a number of flights in response to airspace restrictions in parts of the Middle East.

The company said the rerouting measure would likely cause some disruption and delay to a number of flights over the coming days.

Overnight, Iran fired a barrage of missiles against Israel, prompting calls for retaliation. The attack was the second since Iran’s first-ever direct attack in April, stoking fears of a larger regional conflict which could further embroil Israel’s northern neighbour, Lebanon.

The attack by Iran came after Israel on Tuesday launched a ground operation against militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel is also engaged in a fight against Hamas in Gaza.

Qatar Airways, meanwhile, said it temporarily suspended flights to and from Iraqi and Iranian destinations due to airspace restrictions.

The company added that it also revised the route of a number of flights.

“Revised routing including the possibility of diversions, will have an effect on a number of international flights until all closed airspace reopens," Qatar Airways said.

In Europe, German carrier Deutsche Lufthansa said it would avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Jordanian airspace on Wednesday, meaning that flights to Amman in Jordan and Erbil in Iraq would be suspended.

The company, which includes Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines said it would continue to avoid Israeli airspace through Oct. 31.

Write to Pierre Bertrand at pierre.bertrand@wsj.com