American Airlines halts US-Qatar flights amid Mideast tensions

June 20, 2025 (MLN): Amid rising tensions and military activity in the Middle East, American Airlines Group Inc. has suspended its daily flights from the United States to Qatar’s capital.

Similarly, United Airlines Holdings Inc. has paused its service to Dubai. These decisions follow heightened security concerns in the region, according to Bloomberg.

The move by American Airlines came after the U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued a warning to American citizens and embassy staff, urging them to "exercise increased vigilance."

The advisory, posted on the U.S. State Department website Thursday, cautioned individuals to remain aware of their surroundings, avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, be cautious at locations associated with the United States, and "keep a low profile."

Meanwhile, the situation has rapidly deteriorated in Israel.

Following the onset of attacks, Israel closed its main international airport in Tel Aviv, canceling all flights with no announced timeline for reopening.

Evacuation options have become increasingly dangerous.

Land crossings into Jordan or Egypt to catch outbound flights pose significant risks, with travelers exposed for hours on highways and at checkpoints, making them vulnerable to missile attacks.

In response, some Americans have resorted to chartering boats to Cyprus.

Several countries, including Germany and Poland, have begun evacuating their citizens from Israel.

While the United States has started to evacuate some diplomats from its embassy in Jerusalem, it has yet to offer assistance to private citizens.

Warren Cohn, an American who had flown to Tel Aviv for work, expressed frustration.

“When it really hit me and I got annoyed about that today is when my friend who’s with me, who’s German, said that his country is working it and he'll probably leave tomorrow,” he said.

“I know there’s a lot going on, I know it’s a war zone. I really don't want the U.S. to strand us here. I miss my wife and kids terribly. I want to get back there”, he noted.

In an independent effort, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has sent four charter planes to evacuate 1,500 stranded Americans who managed to reach Cyprus, primarily participants in the Birthright Israel program.

As of now, the conflict has resulted in more than 600 deaths in Iran and 24 in Israel.

Some of Iran’s ballistic missiles have penetrated Israel’s air defenses, striking central areas of Tel Aviv.

“It hit pretty close to home when you go to a café and the next day you go there and it’s not there anymore,” said Bracha Banayan, a New Yorker whose return flight from Tel Aviv was canceled.

“There’s also a risk of trying to leave right now. I’m not sure the airspace is so safe. I also feel like I should be here right now”, she noted.

“It’s honestly really hard to process, like one second I could have been standing here and actually hit or potentially killed, and that’s a really scary feeling”, Bracha Banayan added.

Banayan, founder and CEO of IVDrips, was in Tel Aviv to expand her business into Israel.

Despite the circumstances, she has opted to shelter in place and extend her stay.

While missile sirens now send her running into bomb shelters several times a day.