Global airlines moved swiftly Saturday to suspend and reroute flights across the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, triggering a cascade of airspace closures that has thrown regional aviation into turmoil and left travelers stranded.
Airlines cancelled nearly 40% of flights to Israel and 6.7% of flights to the broader region on Saturday, according to preliminary data from aviation analytics firm Cirium first reported by Reuters. For travel agents with clients currently in the region or booked on upcoming itineraries, the situation remains highly fluid and rapidly evolving.
At least eight countries declared their airspace closed as the conflict erupted, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Syria also announced a partial closure of its airspace along its southern border with Israel, according to reporting by Al Jazeera.
Emirates suspended all flight operations to and from Dubai, citing multiple regional airspace closures. Qatar’s civil aviation authority also temporarily closed the country’s airspace, effectively grounding Qatar Airways.
The disruption extends well beyond the Gulf’s flagship carriers. Germany’s Lufthansa suspended flights to and from Dubai on Saturday and Sunday, and halted its Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Oman routes through at least March 7. Air France cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut, Iberia cancelled Tel Aviv service, and Wizz Air suspended flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman with immediate effect through March 7. Russian carriers suspended flights to Iran and Israel, and several Indian carriers, including Air India, also halted Middle East service.
Those observing FlightAware software online could see an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Doha turned back more than six hours after departure, and an Air Canada service from Toronto to Dubai spent more than 10 hours airborne before diverting — both aircraft unable to enter the closed airspace.
All flights at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport have been suspended until further notice, according to state-run operator Dubai Airports. Dubai saw over 280 inbound and outbound flight cancellations so far on Saturday, with another 250 flights delayed. Other airports experiencing major operational disruption include Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv, Jeddah, Doha’s Hamad International, and Kuwait International.
The closures have disrupted one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors linking Europe, the Gulf, and Asia, forcing airlines to reroute aircraft around restricted airspace — with long-haul flights diverting south over Saudi Arabia or north via Central Asia, increasing flight times and complicating crew scheduling and onward connections.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency assessed a “high risk to civil aviation” in the affected airspace, advising airlines against operating there and warning that retaliatory actions against U.S. and Israeli assets in the region remain likely.
Monitor airline travel waivers for flexible rebooking options, advise clients to avoid non-essential travel to directly affected countries, and build in extended connection times for clients transiting Gulf hubs. Travel advisors should check airline websites and government travel advisories frequently for updates before rebooking or ticketing any Middle East itineraries.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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