UAE flight delays: How is the unfolding Middle East conflict affecting international flights?

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Airlines flying from Europe to the Gulf on Tuesday night into Wednesday experienced severe disruption, with Emirates and Qatar Airways – the two biggest Middle East carriers – diverting dozens of flights. British Airways, too, was affected – with a London Heathrow to Dubai plane diverting late in its journey to Larnaca in Cyprus to refuel, and a Singapore-Heathrow flight that diverted to Dubai as its normal route was closed. For example, the early morning Qatar Airways flight QR12 arrival at Doha today from London Heathrow flew southeast to Athens, over the eastern Mediterranean to Egypt, over the Sinai peninsula to the Red Sea, turning east to fly over the middle of Saudi Arabia. For example, the Singapore Airlines A380 SuperJumbo from the city-state to London Heathrow must thread a complicated course over India, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, taking much longer than the ideal flight plan – which would traverse southern Russia.