Global air travel remains severely disrupted after the war in Iran forced the closure of key Middle Eastern hubs, stranding tens of thousands, according to reports. Thousands of flights to and from the Middle East are facing serious disruption since late February, with Iranian strikes across the region occurring in retaliation to US and Israeli bombardment, sources indicate. The conflict has forced many airlines operating in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha to suspend or cancel services, leaving many travelers stranded, reports show.
An Iranian drone hit a fuel tank near Dubai Airport, sparking a fire, leading to flight diversions and road closures, officials said. Officials in Dubai said two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport this morning, and four people were injured, with authorities referring to the incident as a 'drone-related incident' causing minimal damage and no injuries. Emirates was forced to divert flights mid-air, including from Heathrow, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Dublin, and since the strike, no major airline has resumed flights to Dubai, according to reports.
Multiple airlines have cancelled flights to various Middle Eastern destinations, including Aegean, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air Europa, Air France KLM, Air India, Cathay Pacific, Delta, El Al, Emirates, Etihad, and Finnair, sources report. WizzAir, Qatar Airways, and Virgin Atlantic cancelled services to the region on Saturday, with WizzAir suspending all flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until March 7. Cathay Pacific has suspended all flights to and from Dubai until the end of next month, and KLM canceled all flights to Dubai until 28 March due to ongoing geopolitical unrest in the Middle East, though KLM remains available for the repatriation of stranded travelers, coordinated by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
British Airways has pulled all services to five Middle Eastern destinations and Israel, citing instability, and has been operating repatriation flights to help stranded passengers return home, the airline said. A British Airways flight from Heathrow to Doha turned around and returned to London, and the airline will pause flights from Muscat to London Heathrow after final repatriation services on March 11 and 12 due to reduced demand, according to British Airways. British Airways paused repatriation flights to the UK from Oman due to reduced demand, with over 63,000 Britons having returned home from the UAE since the start of the conflict, reports indicate.
Qatar Airways is offering limited repatriation services to and from Hamad International Airport in Doha after temporary flight corridors were authorized by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, and has confirmed specific flights departing from and arriving to Doha on March 11, 12, and 13, the airline stated. Up to 8,000 passengers were reported stranded in Qatar, with the government covering hotel costs and extending visas, and Qatar Airways suspended flights from and to Doha due to closure of Qatari airspace, according to reports. Qatar Airways said it would increase flights from Wednesday, but numbers are limited under current conditions.
Emirates is operating a reduced flight schedule, reaching 369 flights on Sunday, about 70% of pre-conflict levels, with flights to Manchester, Birmingham, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Edinburgh, and Newcastle scheduled this week and available to book, the airline said. Emirates said it will operate 11 daily flights across five airports, subject to ongoing airspace approvals. Etihad announced it will begin operating limited flights from Abu Dhabi this week after extensive safety and security assessments, including scheduled services to London Heathrow and Manchester in the UK.
Dubai has imposed flight restrictions limiting foreign airlines to one daily service to its airports until May 31, with the restrictions communicated in a private email from Dubai Airports on March 27, sources report. The Federation of Indian Airlines claims the curbs are not applied to Dubai-based airlines like Emirates and flydubai, and India was the largest source of passengers for Dubai International Airport in 2025. The Federation of Indian Airlines has urged the Indian government to intervene against Dubai's flight restrictions.
British Airways has added Melbourne and Colombo as new destinations for winter 2026, with flights starting in January 2027 and October 2026 respectively, and will increase flight frequency to Cape Town, Haneda, Bridgetown, Kingston, and San Jose, the airline said. The new schedule reflects a 9% growth in British Airways' long-haul route network, and the airline plans to resume flights to Riyadh in mid-May, and to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv on July 1, but reduce services to one daily flight, according to British Airways. British Airways will add daily flights to Bengaluru and Nairobi, and increase capacity on Delhi and Hyderabad routes, while cutting some flights to the Middle East, favoring destinations like India and Kenya, and cutting Jeddah permanently from end of April.
Virgin Atlantic has cancelled its Heathrow to Riyadh route due to disruption from the war in Iran, first cancelling selected Riyadh flights in late February, then pausing until March 25, and cancelling from April 7, the airline stated. Oman Air has operated almost 80 extra flights and helped more than 97,000 passengers get home, with Muscat International Airport as a key transit point, according to reports. British Airways will continue to serve Riyadh and Jeddah, which have been less affected, but will cut Jeddah permanently from end of April, the airline said.
Contradictions exist in British Airways' suspension timelines for Middle Eastern destinations. For Dubai, British Airways cancelled flights until later in March, but multiple reports indicate the airline has extended the suspension until May 31, affecting passenger planning. For Doha, British Airways cancelled flights until later in March, yet sources say the suspension is extended until April 30, creating uncertainty for travelers. For Abu Dhabi, British Airways cancelled flights until later this year, but other reports specify resumption on October 25, impacting clarity on restart dates. Regarding future plans, British Airways plans to resume flights to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv on July 1 with reduced services, but suspensions are reported into spring, conflicting with summer travel expectations. Additionally, Dubai's flight restrictions limit foreign airlines to one daily service until May 31, but Emirates reached 70% of pre-conflict levels and Qatar Airways plans increased flights, raising questions about restriction enforcement.
Key unknowns remain, including what specific safety and security assessments airlines are conducting before resuming flights to the Middle East, and how many total passengers remain stranded in the region due to the disruptions. The current status of airspace closures and restrictions across Middle Eastern countries is unclear, and it is unknown if there are ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve flight restrictions and airspace issues. The financial impact on airlines and airports from the widespread cancellations and reduced services has not been quantified, highlighting the broader implications of the regional conflict on global aviation.