United, American suspend multiple flights amid 'conflict in the region'

Flights out of Newark, JFK, and Philadelphia are all affected.

Jun 20, 2025 - 14:42

United, American suspend multiple flights amid 'conflict in the region'

With the war unleashed after Israel targeted a number of Iranian nuclear facilities in a surprise attack in its second week and continuing to escalate as Trump weighs the possibility of U.S. involvement, all major U.S. airlines have suspended certain Middle Eastern routes.

After suspending flights to Tel Aviv earlier in the month, United Airlines (UAL) on June 17 stopped its daily flight between Newark Liberty (EWR) and Dubai International Airport (DXB) "due to conflict in the region." The flight is currently marked as suspended until June 25, but the volatile situation in the area means that changes can come at any time and at the last minute.

American Airlines (AAL) , which uses Boeing 787-9 (BA) aircraft to run a daily flight to Qatar from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), similarly suspended it until June 22.

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'We will continue to monitor the situation': airlines

"We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and make any additional adjustments as needed," the airline said in a statement on the decision.

While American has not flown to Israel since the Hamas attack on the country in October 2023, United and Delta Air Lines (DAL) have slowly resumed certain flights during quiet periods in the country's war with Gaza.

When the Iran attack inflamed conflict in the region to a new peak, both airlines once again canceled any active routes to Tel Aviv — a John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) flight from Delta and one from Newark Liberty for United. Planes that were in the air during the attack were diverted back to the U.S. on June 12.

Both airlines said that their service to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) will remain suspended until August 2025 at the earliest. Those with booked travel not eligible for automatic changes and refunds have been contacted with information on how to apply for a travel waiver.

American Airlines suspended its daily flight to Doha from Philadelphia International Airport.
Image source: Shutterstock

Flights remain suspended for the summer, 'updates will be communicated as needed'

"The safety of our customers and crew remains our top priority," the latter airline said in a statement. "Delta is continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing our operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports. Updates will be communicated as needed."

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While a lack of diplomatic relations with Iran means that no U.S. airline had operated flights to Tehran, global carriers such as Lufthansa (DLAKF) , Turkish Airlines, and Emirates have all immediately canceled any service to Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) until September.

Flights through Middle Eastern hubs of Dubai and Doha are likely to be resumed the quickest, while service to Israel — and in the case of non-U.S. airlines, Iran — can be delayed for months as conflict in the area continues to escalate.

After making several threats about having the U.S. join Israel in a strike against Iran on June 17 and 18, Trump is now saying that he'll make a "decision of whether or not to go within the next two weeks."

Iran has issued a statement saying that it will not meet with the U.S. for nuclear talks until the end of the Israeli strikes.