US and Israeli Strikes on Iran Trigger Gulf Airspace Shutdowns, Disrupting Global Long-Haul Travel
Gulf hubs have suspended operations as cancellations and reroutes ripple across U.S.–Asia and transatlantic long-haul networks.
Photo: Rocker Sta / Unsplash
Airspace closures across the Middle East are disrupting long-haul travel flows between the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered widespread shutdowns across the region’s primary aviation corridors.
On Saturday, governments including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain closed or partially closed their airspace as the conflict escalated. The immediate operational impact centered on Dubai International (DXB), Al Maktoum International (DWC), Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International (AUH), and Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha—three of the most important global connecting points for U.S.-origin travelers heading to India, the Maldives, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and parts of the Middle East.
Dubai International is the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic. Together, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha typically process roughly 90,000 daily transfer passengers across Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Cirium reported that 966 of 4,218 scheduled inbound flights to Middle Eastern destinations on Saturday (22.9%) were cancelled. Including outbound services, cancellations exceeded 1,800 flights. FlightAware said more than 18,000 flights were delayed globally and over 2,350 were cancelled worldwide as of late Saturday night.
The Gulf carriers most relevant to U.S. long-haul itineraries moved quickly to suspend operations. Emirates grounded flights to and from Dubai through at least 3 p.m. local time Sunday following what the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority described as an “exceptional precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of flights and aircrews, and safeguarding the UAE’s territory.” In a statement, Emirates said: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai.” It added “the safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”
Etihad Airways confirmed that flights to and from Abu Dhabi were suspended until 2 a.m. local time Monday, calling the situation “highly dynamic.” Qatar Airways temporarily halted services to and from Doha before announcing plans to resume limited operations Sunday evening local time.
U.S. and European carriers have also adjusted schedules. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines suspended service to Tel Aviv through at least March 3. American Airlines paused flights from Philadelphia to Doha. British Airways cancelled services to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until next week and warned that flights between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, or Tel Aviv could be subject to multi-day disruption. Lufthansa suspended operations to Dubai over the weekend and extended the pause on flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut through at least March 7.
At least 145 aircraft en route to destinations including Tel Aviv and Dubai were diverted Saturday to cities such as Athens, Istanbul, and Rome. Some aircraft returned to their origin after extended holding patterns, affecting onward connections to and from the U.S.
There have also been confirmed security incidents. In Abu Dhabi, an “incident” at Zayed International Airport resulted in one fatality and seven injuries, according to a now-deleted airport statement cited by multiple outlets. In Dubai, four airport staff were injured after part of a concourse sustained minor damage during reported retaliatory strikes. Civil defense teams contained related fires, and damage to airport infrastructure has been described as limited.
As carriers reroute around restricted airspace—particularly avoiding Iranian and Iraqi corridors—flight times are increasing on some services between North America and South Asia, the Indian Ocean, and parts of the Gulf. Longer routings add fuel burn and complicate aircraft rotations, with potential schedule knock-on effects if closures persist.
Airlines are broadly offering rebooking and refund waivers, though policies vary by carrier and point of sale. U.S. and U.K. authorities have advised nationals in several Gulf states to shelter in place and monitor official guidance.
With portions of regional airspace expected to reopen in phases depending on military activity, operations remain fluid. For now, U.S.-origin long-haul travel that typically flows through Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi is operating at sharply reduced capacity, and schedule instability is likely to continue into the coming week.
