In situations like this, airspace closures can be announced through NOTAMs with only hours of notice. Airlines and passengers often find out at roughly the same time. Even when routes reopen, aircraft may no longer follow the same paths they originally did. Airlines may be required to detour around restricted airspace, extend flight paths, or reroute aircraft through different hubs.
On Thursday, Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said that Iranian drones attacked the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. It's an exclave to the north of Iran, which is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenia. One drone damaged the terminal at Nakhchivan Airport, and another fell near a school building, the ministry said. Two civilians were injured, it added.
Tens of thousands of people on trips organized by German travel agencies have been affected by US-Israel war with Iran, a leading trade group said on Monday. Figures from the German Travel Association suggest that some 30,000 tourists are unable to fly home amid the hostilities, which have prompted several countries in the region to close their airspace, while many airlines have put flights into and out of the crisis area on hold.
In the first hours of trading in Europe on Monday, shares in the continent's biggest airline groups - IAG, Air France-KLM, and Lufthansa - all plunged as investors digested the potential for long-term disruption to the airline industry due to the conflict.
The US Embassy in Doha has advised its personnel and all other US citizens in Qatar to limit non-essential travel to Al Udeid Air Base. The base houses US Air Force as well as other foreign forces. "The US Mission to Qatar continues to monitor the situation," the embassy said on its website. "At this time, US Embassy staffing and operations are unchanged, and consular services continue as normal."
