BY Rosemary
Air travel across the Middle East ground to a near halt after coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran triggered widespread airspace closures, missile attacks on key infrastructure and cascading disruptions at some of the world’s busiest transit hubs.
By Sunday, more than 3,400 flights had been canceled across seven major airports in the region, according to aviation tracker Flightradar24. Governments from the Gulf to the Levant suspended civilian air traffic as a precaution amid fears of further missile launches and drone incursions.
Among the hardest hit were the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, home to three of the most strategically important aviation hubs linking Europe, Africa and North America with Asia and Australia. Operations at Dubai International Airport, Zayed International Airport and Hamad International Airport were suspended after airspace closures and reported strikes in the vicinity.
The UAE government condemned what it described as a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles.” At Dubai International Airport, officials reported four people injured following an incident linked to the regional hostilities. Authorities at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi confirmed one fatality and seven injuries in what they said was a drone strike. Strikes were also reported near Kuwait International Airport, further underscoring the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure amid the escalating conflict.
Iran did not publicly claim responsibility for the incidents, but Gulf governments attributed the attacks to Tehran’s expanding retaliation campaign, which appeared to extend beyond previously declared U.S. military targets.
Airlines moved swiftly to suspend operations. Emirates halted all flights to and from Dubai until at least Sunday afternoon. Qatar Airways said Doha’s airport would remain closed until at least Monday morning. Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, also faced extensive cancellations and diversions.
Israeli airspace remained closed for a second consecutive day. Israel’s national carrier, El Al, said it was preparing contingency plans to repatriate citizens stranded abroad once authorities deemed the skies safe to reopen.
The three Gulf carriers — Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad — collectively process roughly 90,000 transit passengers daily through their hubs, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. With the closures in place, hundreds of thousands of travelers were either stranded in transit lounges or forced to seek alternate routes.
Flights traversing the Middle East were rerouted southward over Saudi Arabia and other unaffected corridors, adding hours to long-haul journeys and increasing fuel consumption. Industry analysts warned that prolonged detours could strain airline schedules, aircraft rotations and crew availability while raising operating costs that may ultimately be passed on to consumers.
Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, said the disruption was unavoidable under the circumstances. He advised travelers to expect continued delays and cancellations as airlines recalibrate routes and assess security conditions.
The surge in diverted flights also placed added pressure on Saudi Arabia’s air traffic control system, which had to absorb a sudden influx of long-haul traffic. Aviation specialists noted that authorities may be forced to meter aircraft more conservatively to maintain safety margins, further extending journey times.
At the same time, countries that closed their airspace face significant financial losses from suspended overflight fees, which normally generate millions of dollars in revenue from international carriers crossing their skies.
Mike McCormick, a former senior air traffic control official with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and now a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said partial reopening of certain corridors could occur within 24 to 36 hours if military authorities provide airlines with clearer guidance on operational risk zones.
As military activity becomes more defined and if Iran’s capacity to launch additional missiles is degraded, he said, civil aviation authorities may gradually reopen segments of airspace while keeping higher-risk areas restricted.
However, uncertainty remains over how long the broader disruption will last. A previous round of hostilities between Israel, the United States and Iran in mid-2025 persisted for nearly two weeks, raising concerns that aviation networks could face sustained volatility if the current confrontation escalates similarly.
The ripple effects extended far beyond the Middle East. In Indonesia, more than 1,600 tourists were stranded at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport after multiple flights to the Gulf were canceled or postponed. In Europe, passengers arriving for departures to the region were turned away at check-in counters as airlines struggled to update schedules in real time.
In Newcastle, England, Jonathan Escott arrived at the airport on Saturday expecting to board a direct Emirates flight to Dubai, only to discover it had been canceled. With no immediate alternative, he returned to stay with family, uncertain when his travel plans could resume.
Airlines urged passengers to check flight statuses online before traveling to airports, warning that conditions were evolving rapidly. Several carriers introduced flexible rebooking policies, waiving change fees and fare differences for affected customers.
Industry experts cautioned that travelers attempting to return home from affected regions may need to consider unconventional routings through secondary hubs in Europe or Asia, potentially combining multiple carriers and longer layovers.
As the military confrontation reshapes air traffic patterns across one of the world’s most critical aviation crossroads, airlines, regulators and passengers alike are navigating an environment defined by fluid risk assessments and limited predictability. Whether operations normalize in days or weeks will depend largely on the trajectory of the conflict and the speed with which diplomatic or military developments reduce the threat to civilian aviation.
Original article
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