Sri Lanka denied a request from a United States military aircraft to land at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), according to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Middle East tensions
Qatar Airways moves A380 and A350 aircraft to long-term storage in Spain as demand weakens and regional risks persist.
The United States has approved over $16.5 billion in arms sales to UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan, focusing on missiles, air defense systems, and aircraft readiness amid rising regional tensions.
Air defense systems across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman have intercepted more than 3,133 Iranian missiles and drones targeting civilian areas and strategic infrastructure.
The Australian government has announced the deployment of a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail early warning aircraft to the Middle East as tensions escalate following Iranian missile and drone attacks across the Gulf region.
US military assets worth nearly $2 billion were damaged or destroyed during the first four days of Iranian strikes across the Middle East.
33 Gulf carrier jets stranded at 13 North American airports after Middle East airspace closures disrupt flights.
Emirates (EK) has suspended all flights to and from Dubai International Airport (DXB) after Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes on Iran, triggering widespread airspace closures across the Middle East.
Amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict and rising instability across the Middle East, global air travel is facing disruptions due to widespread airspace closures.
Major global airlines continued rerouting flights to avoid Middle Eastern airspace following recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.