SEVERAL Malaysian flights to the Middle East were cancelled following missile strikes on a United States military base in Qatar, Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed on Tuesday.
Loke said a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) had been issued in response to safety concerns arising from heightened regional conflict, which has seen airspace closures over affected zones.
“The NOTAM was issued because there was a war conflict... so of course there was a risk to air travel,” Bernam cited him saying during a press conference in Sepang today. “Indeed, no airline can fly through that airspace because it is closed.”
As a result, Loke said all airlines have been instructed to implement mitigation measures to ensure passenger safety and minimise disruption. These include rerouting, offering alternative flights, and providing accommodation to stranded travellers.
“These mitigation measures include providing temporary accommodation while waiting for airspace to reopen,” he said.
He also confirmed that the disruption had affected some European routes, with airlines taking longer detours through northern corridors, including airspace over Afghanistan.
“Many airlines are now using longer, alternative routes via northern airspace, including over Afghanistan. This shift began as early as two weeks ago,” he added.
The airspace closures followed a major Iranian missile barrage on the US military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, in retaliation for an earlier American airstrike targeting three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
In the aftermath, several Arab countries, including Qatar and the UAE, temporarily closed their airspace as a precaution. Both countries have since reopened their skies, allowing flight operations to resume.
Checks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) by Bernama confirmed that Middle East-bound departures were resuming, although delays persisted.
As of 4 pm, no further cancellations had been reported, though some services were delayed — including Qatar Airways flight QR845 to Doha, originally scheduled for 8.20 pm.
Earlier, Malaysia Airlines cancelled two flights to Doha — MH164 and MH160R — believed to be linked to the earlier regional airspace restrictions. - June 24, 2025
