Israel’s Ben Gurion international airport will remain closed until further notice as tensions escalate with Iran, the facility's authority confirmed on Saturday.

The closure follows a series of military strikes that began early Friday morning, when Israel launched attacks targeting Iran’s military and nuclear facilities. In retaliation, Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against Israeli territory.

A spokesperson for Ben Gurion Airport, Lisa Diver, told AFP that the airport shutdown is indefinite.

“There is no specific date or time set for the airport’s reopening,” she said, underscoring the uncertain security situation.

Meanwhile, other countries in the region have begun reopening their skies. Lebanon and Syria, which had temporarily closed their airspace amid the rising tensions, announced the resumption of civilian air traffic on Saturday morning.

Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny stated that Lebanon’s airspace reopened at 10:00 a.m. local time in coordination with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. He explained that the airspace closure and associated precautionary measures were “purely security-related” and emphasized that “the safety of passengers and aviation facilities remains a top priority.”

Rasamny, who toured Beirut’s airport as part of an ongoing inspection, reassured travelers, saying that “the situation in Lebanon is safe, and the summer season in Lebanon will be very beautiful.” He also extended apologies to passengers affected by flight disruptions, stressing that the safety-driven decision was necessary given the circumstances.

Lebanon’s flag carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), announced adjustments to its flight schedule to align with the reopened airspace. In an official statement, MEA confirmed it would resume all scheduled outbound flights from Beirut starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, with return flights beginning after 2:00 p.m. the same day. The airline promised to provide updated information on canceled flights and incoming aircraft soon.

MEA also reinstated its Saturday flight ME263/264 to and from Istanbul but confirmed the cancellation of all flights to Iraq for the day.

“Due to the continued closure of Iraqi airspace, Middle East Airlines – Air Liban announces the cancellation of its flights to Iraq (Baghdad and Erbil) for Saturday, June 14, 2025,” the airline said.

Ibrahim Abu Alewe, head of Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, told MTV Lebanon that the airport had been shut down for about 12 hours as a precautionary measure.

“We took precautionary measures and closed the airspace to prevent any danger that could result from missiles crossing Lebanese skies,” he said. Efforts are now underway to reschedule flights with passenger safety as the primary concern.

In Syria, the Civil Aviation Authority also declared a full reopening of Syrian airspace to civilian flights after the conditions that prompted the closure were resolved. The authority said it would “continue monitoring the situation in the region” and left open the possibility of “additional measures if necessary, to maintain the highest levels of safety and security in Syrian airspace.”

Syrian Airlines confirmed it would gradually resume operations but cautioned that “flight times remain subject to change or cancellation at any moment in the event of renewed escalation or airspace closure.”