London to Dubai BA flight turns back 90 minutes from landing after Iran strikes

A flight from London to Dubai was forced to turn back less than two hours before it was due to land following Donald Trump's air strike on Iran.
British Airways Flight 109 left Heathrow at 9.53pm on Saturday night – hours before the US dropped bombs on three of Tehran's nuclear sites.
The Boeing 787 flew five hours on its path, which would have taken it over Egypt, the Red Sea and then across Saudi Arabia.
However, with less than two hours before its scheduled arrival in the UAE, the jet turned around at 2.48am after receiving news of the latest developments in Iran.
Dubai is less than 100 miles from Iranian airspace.
Because the aircraft did not have sufficient fuel to fly back to London, the crew made the decision to land in Zurich in Switzerland instead.
Airlines have been forced to reroute flights around Israel, Iran and several surrounding nations, with European carriers also avoiding Ukrainian and Russian airspace.
Flights between Europe and Asia typically travel over Egypt and then Saudi Arabia or across Turkish, Armenian and Georgian airspace to circumvent the trouble spots.
BA has since cancelled all three planned departures to Dubai on Sunday, while around 1,000 of its passengers remain stuck in the Gulf city awaiting a return flight.
The airline also axed a Sunday night flight bound for Doha in Qatar, the Independent reported. More Trending
Emirates' operation remains unaffected, with its flights from UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester and Birmingham all leaving as normal.
Tehran warned of 'everlasting consequences' after the US said it had 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program.
British Airways said: 'As a result of recent events, we have adjusted our flight schedule to ensure the safety of our customers and crew, which is always our top priority.
'We are contacting our customers to advise them of their options while we work through this developing situation.'
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Is it safe to travel to Cyprus? Latest Foreign Office tourist advice after US strikes on Iran
MORE: Has World War Three started and how close has Iran come to having a nuclear bomb?
MORE: British man arrested on suspicion of terror offences near vital UK airbase

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Metro

an hour ago

• Metro

Airline announces rescue flights from Israel to London after '25,000 requests'

El Al is to start rescue flights from Israel from Monday after receiving 25,000 request forms, the airline said. Israel's flag carrier said it would begin operations tomorrow with a strict cap of 50 passengers per flight, in line with government guidance. Under the scheme, passengers who leave Israel on a rescue flight will not be allowed to for at least 21 days. A total of 25,000 people have registered their interest since the system opened on Saturday night. Flights will operate to London, Paris, Athens, Rome, Larnaca, New York, Los Angeles and Bangkok. Currently, passengers can only book flights on El Al from July 15 after the airline suspended regular operations until at least June 27. El Al said in a statement: 'We are subject to and operate in accordance with the directives of the security establishment and the Ministry of Transportation. 'The safety and security of our passengers are our top priority, and we will continue to provide updates on any changes or new directives.' Following Israel's Operation Rising Lion air strikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran's subsequent retaliation, the Foreign Office updated its travel advice on June 15, placing Israel on its red list. British citizens in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are advised to 'follow local authorities' advice'. As well as rescue flights from Israel, the airline is running repatriation flights for Israeli citizens abroad from the same destinations. More Trending The airline said that flights would be 'operated gradually' and subject to government approval. It added that passengers already booked onto flights between June 13 and June 30 would not be charged an additional fee if reassigned onto a rescue flight to the same region. In addition to emergency flights, El Al is offering cruises to and from Cyprus in partnership with Mano Maritime, with each voyage accommodating up to 1,500 passengers. During Sunday evening's meeting of the UN Security Council, Iran accused the US of a 'flagrant breach of international law' and having 'waged a war' under a 'under a fabricated and absurd pretext'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man, 22, fighting for life after stabbing outside prayer centre MORE: Piccadilly line's new air conditioned trains delayed while London faces heatwave MORE: Is it safe to travel to Dubai right now? Latest Foreign Office tourist advice after US strikes Iran

Daily Record

4 hours ago

• Daily Record

Flights axed from UK to hotspots including Dubai after Donald Trump bombs Iran

Some travellers faced huge disruptions after all scheduled flights from a major airport to holiday spots Dubai and Doha were cancelled. Flights have been cancelled to several tourist hotspots following Donald Trump's bombing strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities on Saturday night. Some travellers faced huge disruptions after all scheduled flights from a major airport in London to Brit holiday spots Dubai and Doha were cancelled. ‌ All British Airways flights to the major Gulf cities from Heathrow were axed on Sunday, the airline confirmed. As reported by the Mirror, this drastic move also included return flights from these airports back to the UK. ‌ It comes after a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Dubai was diverted to Zurich amid escalations between Iran and the US. Trump ordered the bombing of three of Iran's nuclear facilities overnight on Sunday. The US President confirmed the news on Truth Social and said: "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan." Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel after the nuclear sites were bombed in the US operation. Following the US strikes on Iran, Israel confirmed its airspace was closed to incoming and departing flights. British Airways, in a statement, said: "As a result of recent events, we have adjusted our flight schedule to ensure the safety of our customers and crew, which is always our top priority. We are contacting our customers to advise them of their options while we work through this developing situation." The airline typically flies three times a day between Heathrow and Dubai, and usually flies two times a day to Doha. ‌ This travel disruption has left more than 1,000 British Airways passengers stranded in Dubai as they wait to be flown back to the UK. Despite this, flights from the UK to Dubai through Emirates have not been disrupted and continue as normal. Flights from London Gatwick to Doha and Dubai are also operating as scheduled, despite disruption from Heathrow, according to the airport's website. ‌ This comes after Donald Trump struck three Iranian sites last night in what US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth called an "obliteration" of Iran's nuclear facilities. During a press conference at the Pentagon this afternoon, Hegseth said: "Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran's nuclear program, and none could until President Trump." Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, called the "outrageous" attack "extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behaviour". He warned that these strikes "will have everlasting consequences" and that his country "reserves all options" to retaliate. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded and said an Iranian retaliation would be "the worst mistake they've ever made." He added: "They thought they could do with Trump what they've done with presidents in the past and get it away with it — and they found out last night that they can't."

South Wales Guardian

5 hours ago

• South Wales Guardian

Flights from London Heathrow to Doha and Dubai cancelled

It comes after a British Airways (BA) flight from London Heathrow to Dubai was diverted to Zurich on Saturday night (June 21). The BA109 flight departed from the UK at 9.53pm on Saturday and reached Saudi Arabia before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner changed its course, landing in Switzerland, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. All of the airline's flights to Dubai and Doha that were scheduled to depart from Heathrow on Sunday have been cancelled, including return flights, the company said. Dubai: 1,000-plus British Airways passengers waiting in the UAE to be flown home after BA cancelled 4 flights from Heathrow to DXB. 1 BA plane on Saturday reached Saudi Arabia before turning around, but had to divert to Zurich. Emirates operating Israel announced on Sunday (June 22) that it had closed its airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the US attacks. The US struck three nuclear test sites in Iran overnight, prompting Tehran to launch a retaliatory ballistic missile barrage against Israel. Recommended reading: How does parking work at Heathrow Airport - All to know Can you still use a red passport for travelling in 2025? Furious Ryanair customer abandons holiday over 'ridiculous' £55 charge In a statement, British Airways said: 'As a result of recent events, we have adjusted our flight schedule to ensure the safety of our customers and crew, which is always our top priority. 'We are contacting our customers to advise them of their options while we work through this developing situation.' BA is offering a flexible booking policy for customers already booked onto flights to Dubai and Doha between Sunday and Tuesday who wish to change their dates of travel.