Airlines divert, cancel flights as tensions in Mid-East rise

Concern over travel disruption also hits shares in the travel and airline sectors

LONDON - Rising tensions in the Middle East have created air travel chaos, with global airlines diverting or cancelling flights on Oct 2 and regional airports, including in Lebanon, Israel and Kuwait, showing long delays, according to Flight-Radar24 data.

Concern over travel disruption as the conflict intensifies also knocked shares in the travel and airline sectors.

Iran launched its largest missile attack against Israel on Oct 1 in retaliation for Israel's campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, triggering a threat from Israel of a "painful response".

On the morning of Oct 2, a few flights were seen over Iranian air-space, according to a FlightRa-dar24 map, including from carrier flydubai, after Iran said its ballistic missile attack on Israel was over.

However, flights across the entire region were diverted or disrupted with little sign of broader normal-isation, with some changing their routes to avoid certain airspace.