The Middle East is a region of intense beauty and ancient kingdoms. It has also repeatedly endured periods of geopolitical instability over many centuries.

Industry giants like Air France-KLM, Wizz Air, and Lufthansa are among more than 150 airlines across the globe to have had to divert or cancel flights after airspace over Israel, Iraq, and Jordan suddenly shut down at the weekend, reports the Financial Times.

Global air traffic has been disrupted following Israel’s strikes on Iran Friday, with several major airlines suspending flights to and from locations in the Middle East and rerouting their planes to avoid much of the region’s airspace.