British business travellers with Middle East itineraries face immediate and widespread disruption after the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advised against all travel to Israel and Palestine, with Israeli airspace closed and carriers suspending routes across the Gulf.

The advice follows the start of joint United States and Israeli military action in Iran on 28 February 2026, which triggered security concerns across the region. In a statement, the FCDO said: “Due to the threat posed by escalation in the region, we recommend against all travel to Israel and Palestine.”

Shelter in place advice across the Gulf

The warning goes well beyond Israel. The Foreign Office has updated its guidance for UK nationals in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, telling travellers to “immediately shelter in place”. The advisory states: “Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”

British nationals in affected areas are urged to take sensible precautions, stay away from military facilities and keep travel documents up to date.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to chair a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee as ministers assess the situation. The UK Government has said it was not involved in the strikes and that its priority remains “the safety of UK nationals”. Ministers have stressed they do not want to see “further escalation into a wider regional conflict”.

Airlines suspend and reroute flights

Airspace over Iran and Iraq appeared largely empty on Saturday, according to tracking data from Flightradar24, as carriers worldwide cancelled or diverted services.

  • Air France and KLM cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut, with KLM bringing forward its suspension of Amsterdam to Tel Aviv services.
  • Japan Airlines cancelled a Tokyo Haneda to Doha flight and a return service scheduled for 1 March.
  • Lufthansa suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman until 7 March and cancelled weekend Dubai services, while avoiding Israeli, Lebanese, Jordanian, Iraqi and Iranian airspace.
  • Virgin Atlantic cancelled its Heathrow to Dubai VS400 service on Saturday and confirmed it would temporarily avoid Iraqi airspace.
  • Wizz Air halted flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect until 7 March.

Other carriers said schedules would be kept under continuous review as the situation develops.

What it means for business travellers

For corporate travellers, the impact extends well past cancelled departures. With Israeli airspace shut and multiple airlines pulling Gulf routes at once, aircraft and crew are out of position, meaning knock-on cancellations are likely to run beyond the weekend. Hotels in the region have already been asked to extend stays for stranded guests, and the conflict’s pressure on jet fuel supplies has given airlines new powers to cancel summer flights weeks in advance.

Travelling against FCDO advice can also invalidate travel insurance, a point SME travel bookers should flag to staff before any Middle East trip is confirmed.

Anyone with imminent travel to the region should check directly with their airline before setting off and monitor the FCDO’s Israel travel advice closely as the security situation evolves.