The closure of Iranian airspace, and that of several neighboring countries following Israeli airstrikes has forced multiple international flights to divert or make emergency landings across the region, including at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport.
As a result of the disruptions, citizens of the Republic of Armenia and ethnic Armenians unexpectedly landed at Baku Airport in Azerbaijan while traveling to destinations such as the United Arab Emirates. Similarly, Azerbaijani nationals have found themselves at Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan.
Armenia’s National Security Service confirmed the developments and stated that relevant state bodies are working to manage the situation and provide necessary assistance.
According to the Union of Armenians of Russia, more than ten flights from Moscow, Minsk, and Kazan en route to Dubai were rerouted to Azerbaijan, with several passengers of Armenian origin reportedly on board. Many of the Armenians who found themselves in Baku had been traveling to the UAE.
In response to these developments, Ara Abrahamyan, President of the Union of Armenians of Russia, called on the Russian Foreign Ministry to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Armenians aboard flights that landed in Baku. He warned that given Azerbaijan’s history of anti-Armenian policies and documented mistreatment of Armenian passengers in the past, there is serious concern about the well-being of those on board. According to families who reached out to the Union, communication had been lost with some of the Armenian passengers.
Meanwhile, the Press Secretary of Armenia’s Civil Aviation Committee, Lilit Aghabekyan, confirmed that several flights en route to the United Arab Emirates made emergency landings in Yerevan. These included the Kazan–Sharjah, Mineralnye Vody–Dubai, and Belgorod–Dubai flights. Aghabekyan stated that Iran shut down its airspace at approximately 4:30 a.m. local time and added that the timing for the resumption of these flights remains uncertain and depends on when Iranian airspace reopens.
Wizz Air’s Abu Dhabi–Yerevan flight was not canceled but rerouted to avoid Iranian and neighboring airspace. As a result, the flight time increased by nearly two hours. Originally scheduled to land at 19:30, the flight instead arrived at 21:15, with the total travel time extended from 3 hours and 25 minutes to over 5 hours. While Armenia’s Civil Aviation Committee initially listed the route as canceled, Zvartnots Airport later clarified the flight was operational with an altered path.
The regional airspace closure has also led to widespread flight cancellations. According to live Flightradar24 data, no aircraft are currently flying through the airspace of Iran, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, or Jordan.
As of June 13, the following departures from Yerevan were canceled: Flyone Armenia’s Yerevan–Tel Aviv flight (09:05), Wizz Air’s Yerevan–Abu Dhabi flight (10:20), Armenia Airways’ Yerevan–Tehran flight (11:10), and Flydubai’s Yerevan–Dubai flight (12:25).
Canceled arrivals to Yerevan included Wizz Air’s Abu Dhabi–Yerevan flight (09:45), Flydubai’s Dubai–Yerevan flight (11:25), Armenia Airways’ Tehran–Yerevan flight (15:10), and Flyone Armenia’s Tel Aviv–Yerevan flight (15:20).
The evolving situation underscores the widespread impact of the Israeli strikes on regional air travel and the complex ripple effects across neighboring countries—including Armenia and Azerbaijan.
