West Asia Conflict Grounds Flights Worldwide As Airspace Closures Force Airlines To Cancel Services

Last Updated:March 01, 2026, 12:55 IST

The closures affected key aviation hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, leading to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines.

Airlines serving the West East cancelled and diverted flights after the United States and Israel launched deadly strikes on Iran, including its capital Tehran. The developments led to widespread disruption across global aviation networks as safety concerns grew.

Air India, Emirates, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and IndiGo were among carriers that reduced their schedules to destinations in the Middle East, citing security risks.

Iran responded by launching attacks targeting Israel and four Gulf Arab countries hosting US military bases – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Hundreds of thousands of travellers were stranded or diverted after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace. Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported no flight activity over the UAE after authorities announced a temporary and partial closure of its airspace.

Which are the airspace closed currently?

Airspace across large parts of the Middle East remains heavily restricted amid ongoing regional tensions, with multiple aviation authorities issuing NOTAMs closing skies to civilian traffic. Many of these notices are scheduled to expire late morning on 1 March, though aviation officials warn there is a strong possibility of extensions depending on the security situation.

As of 0530 UTC on 1 March, Iran’s total airspace closure is set to expire at 0830 UTC, followed by Iraq at 0900 UTC. Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait have closures in place until 1000 UTC or 15.30 PM IST, while Saudi Arabia maintains a partial restriction near its borders with Iraq and the Persian Gulf until 0800 UTC. Syria’s closure is expected to continue until 2100 UTC.

The United Arab Emirates remains technically open but under Emergency Security Control of Air Traffic restrictions until 1200 UTC on 2 March. Israel’s complete closure is currently scheduled to remain in effect until 1000 UTC on 3 March, with limited operations continuing only in Lebanon and Jordan.

Major airports shut, thousands of flights cancelled

The closures affected key aviation hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, leading to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines.

Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad typically handle around 90,000 passengers daily through these hubs, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international travel, was among those impacted.

Cirium said that of 4,218 flights scheduled to land in Middle Eastern countries on Saturday, 966 – about 22.9 per cent – were cancelled. Including outbound flights, cancellations rose above 1,800. On Sunday, 716 out of 4,329 scheduled flights were cancelled.

FlightAware reported more than 18,000 global delays and over 2,350 cancellations worldwide as of 10.30 pm GMT on Saturday.

The UK Foreign Office urged British nationals in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE to immediately shelter in place following explosions in the region.

Indian airlines announce cancellations

Air India cancelled multiple long-haul services scheduled for 1 March 2026, including routes between Delhi, Mumbai and London, New York, Newark, Chicago, Toronto, Frankfurt and Paris.

IndiGo extended the temporary suspension of select international flights using Middle East airspace until 2 March 2026, calling it a precautionary step to ensure passenger and crew safety. Affected passengers were offered alternate travel options or full refunds.

Gulf carriers suspend operations

Emirates suspended all operations to and from Dubai until 1500 UAE time on Sunday due to regional airspace closures.

Etihad Airways said all flights to and from Abu Dhabi were suspended until 02:00 UAE time on Monday, advising passengers to check flight status and offering free rebooking or refunds.

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority announced a temporary partial closure of national airspace as an exceptional precautionary measure amid rapidly evolving regional security developments. No timeline for reopening was provided.

Flights operated by Emirates and flydubai were also affected.

Airlines reroute flights, costs rise

Airlines crossing the region began rerouting aircraft south over Saudi Arabia to avoid conflict zones. The longer routes added flight time and fuel consumption, increasing operational costs and potentially pushing ticket prices higher if the conflict continues.

Several airlines issued waivers allowing travellers to rebook without extra fees.

At least 145 aircraft bound for destinations such as Tel Aviv and Dubai were diverted to cities including Athens, Istanbul and Rome. Some flights turned back entirely, including one aircraft that spent nearly 15 hours airborne before returning to its departure point.

Global airlines suspend routes

Numerous carriers cancelled services across the region. Air India suspended all flights to Middle East destinations after India’s civil aviation authority designated large parts of the region as a high-security risk zone.

Turkish Airlines suspended flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan until Monday, and halted services to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE and Oman.

US carriers Delta Air Lines and United Airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv through the weekend. Dutch airline KLM had already halted Tel Aviv operations earlier in the week.

Lufthansa, Air France, Transavia and Pegasus cancelled flights to Lebanon, while American Airlines suspended flights between Philadelphia and Doha.

Virgin Atlantic said it would avoid Iraqi airspace, which could lengthen flights to India, the Maldives and Riyadh. British Airways suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until next week and cancelled services to Amman on Saturday.

Widespread airspace closures across region

Iran closed its airspace until further notice as strikes began, according to its Civil Aviation Organisation. Israel also shut its airspace to civilian flights.

Qatar temporarily closed its skies, while Iraq halted all air traffic. The UAE imposed a partial closure, and Syria shut part of its southern airspace for 12 hours along the Israeli border.

Jordan’s air force conducted drills to defend its skies, and Kuwait also closed its airspace.

The rapidly changing situation prompted airlines worldwide to advise passengers to check flight status before travelling to airports.

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