Iran-Israel conflict delays return flights for Uzbek pilgrims

The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel has led to the closure of their respective airspaces, resulting in extended flight times for Uzbek pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia. This information was reported by a source to QALAMPIR.UZ.

In response to growing concerns, QALAMPIR.UZ contacted Uzbekistan Airways, the airline operating the flights, to clarify the situation. The company confirmed that outbound flights from Tashkent are continuing as scheduled.

According to information released by Uzbekistan Airways on its official news channels on May 12, within the framework of the "Hajj-2025" program, pilgrims are scheduled to depart via the city of Medina and return via Jeddah.

“Uzbekistan Airways has made extensive preparations for these flights. In light of current conditions, flight routes have been revised and rerouted to ensure passenger safety. As a result, flight durations will be slightly longer,” a representative of the airline said.

It should be noted that several recent flights from Tashkent were canceled due to the closure of Iranian airspace. Among them were Flydubai flights FZ-1945/1946 on the Dubai–Tashkent–Dubai route, Air Arabia flights G9-270/271 on the Sharjah–Tashkent–Sharjah route, and Asia Union flights 7Q-141/142 on the Tashkent–Medina–Tashkent route.

Additionally, due to the temporary closure of Ben Gurion Airport and regional airspace in Tel Aviv, flight 9S 501/502 on the Samarkand–Tel Aviv route, scheduled for June 15, has also been canceled.