Portrait of Passengers Stranded by Middle East Crisis

Thousands of travellers have been stranded after several Middle Eastern nations closed their airspace following military strikes against Iran on Sunday, 1 March 2026. The closures have caused significant disruptions to the international aviation network linking Europe, Africa, and Asia. Frustrated passengers can be seen at Dhaka International Airport in Bangladesh.

Major transit hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha have suspended operations after several countries, including Israel, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain, closed their airspace. The timing for normalisation of the situation remains unclear.

Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 shows no aviation activity above the United Arab Emirates following the government’s announcement of temporary airspace closures in certain regions.

The closures have triggered the cancellation of over 1,000 flights operated by major regional carriers. According to aviation analyst Cirium, under normal circumstances, three major carriers—Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways—can serve approximately 90,000 passengers daily through their hubs. However, traffic has now decreased drastically.

Airlines that normally transit through conflict zones must now reroute, with many diverting through Saudi Arabian airspace. These diversions extend flight duration and fuel consumption, potentially raising ticket prices if the conflict persists.