Air France confirmed on Sunday, 1 March 2026, that it is extending the suspension of all passenger services to Tel-Aviv (Israel), Beirut (Lebanon), Dubai (UAE) and Riyadh (Saudi-Arabia) until further notice. The move follows the widening regional fallout from the 28 February 2026 US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian drone and missile retaliation, which have forced large swaths of Gulf and Levantine airspace to close or become highly restricted. (libnanews.com)
According to the carrier, the decision was taken after close coordination with the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Both regulators issued Security Information Bulletins in the early hours of Sunday advising airlines to avoid the Tehran and Baghdad FIRs and to “exercise extreme caution” in the Damascus, Beirut and Tel-Aviv Flight Information Regions. Air France says crews currently down-route will be repositioned on ferry flights once safe routings through Turkish or Egyptian airspace are confirmed.
The suspension is already disrupting the travel plans of thousands of business travellers and cargo shippers who rely on the Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle hub for connections to the Gulf, Levant and Indian sub-continent. Multinational companies with regional headquarters in Dubai and Riyadh told media they are activating contingency plans that include re-routing staff via European partners KLM and Lufthansa or booking block space on Gulf carriers operating via Athens and Istanbul.
![Air France prolongs suspension of flights to Tel-Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh amid escalating Middle-East conflict]()
For travelers suddenly forced to reroute through unfamiliar gateways, navigating fresh transit rules can be as stressful as finding a spare seat. VisaHQ’s online visa and passport platform, accessible via its France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), helps passengers instantly verify entry requirements, secure urgent e-visas for unexpected stop-overs, and arrange expedited passport renewals—providing a practical safety net while the airspace picture remains in flux.
Travel-management companies warn that the knock-on effect will be higher fares on the remaining capacity, longer journey times due to detours, and potential visa headaches if travellers need to transit additional Schengen airports. Mobility managers are advising French assignees in the region to review multiple-entry visa validity, ensure they carry proof of onward travel and monitor employer travel alerts, as the airspace picture remains fluid.
Air France has opened flexible re-booking and refund policies for affected passengers through 15 March, but, given the unpredictability of the military situation, analysts expect the disruption could stretch for weeks. For globally-mobile employees and assignees, the advice is to stay in daily contact with relocation and security providers and to keep digital copies of residence permits and labour cards in case original documents cannot be retrieved during an unplanned evacuation.
According to the carrier, the decision was taken after close coordination with the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Both regulators issued Security Information Bulletins in the early hours of Sunday advising airlines to avoid the Tehran and Baghdad FIRs and to “exercise extreme caution” in the Damascus, Beirut and Tel-Aviv Flight Information Regions. Air France says crews currently down-route will be repositioned on ferry flights once safe routings through Turkish or Egyptian airspace are confirmed.
The suspension is already disrupting the travel plans of thousands of business travellers and cargo shippers who rely on the Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle hub for connections to the Gulf, Levant and Indian sub-continent. Multinational companies with regional headquarters in Dubai and Riyadh told media they are activating contingency plans that include re-routing staff via European partners KLM and Lufthansa or booking block space on Gulf carriers operating via Athens and Istanbul.
For travelers suddenly forced to reroute through unfamiliar gateways, navigating fresh transit rules can be as stressful as finding a spare seat. VisaHQ’s online visa and passport platform, accessible via its France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), helps passengers instantly verify entry requirements, secure urgent e-visas for unexpected stop-overs, and arrange expedited passport renewals—providing a practical safety net while the airspace picture remains in flux.
Travel-management companies warn that the knock-on effect will be higher fares on the remaining capacity, longer journey times due to detours, and potential visa headaches if travellers need to transit additional Schengen airports. Mobility managers are advising French assignees in the region to review multiple-entry visa validity, ensure they carry proof of onward travel and monitor employer travel alerts, as the airspace picture remains fluid.
Air France has opened flexible re-booking and refund policies for affected passengers through 15 March, but, given the unpredictability of the military situation, analysts expect the disruption could stretch for weeks. For globally-mobile employees and assignees, the advice is to stay in daily contact with relocation and security providers and to keep digital copies of residence permits and labour cards in case original documents cannot be retrieved during an unplanned evacuation.
