Middle East aviation shutdown: 1,800+ flights cancelled as 7 nations close airspace over US‑Iran war
PARIS, March 1, 2026 — Flights across the Middle East were cancelled on Saturday as several countries shut their airspace in response to rising hostilities after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, leading to widespread disruptions in commercial aviation.
Countries including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates announced full or partial airspace closures following the escalation, prompting a cascade of flight cancellations and rerouted journeys while airlines assessed safety risks. Qatar’s civil aviation authority also temporarily closed its skies, further compounding travel disruption.
Iran swiftly shut its entire airspace “until further notice,” according to the spokesman of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation, as smoke and explosions were sighted over Tehran following missile and drone exchanges in the escalating military conflict. Israel also closed its skies to civilian flights, Transport Minister Miri Regev confirmed.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, out of around 4,218 flights scheduled to land in Middle Eastern countries on Saturday, 966 (22.9%) were cancelled, with total cancellations rising above 1,800 when both inbound and outbound services were counted. For the following day, Sunday, Cirium reported 716 cancellations out of 4,329 scheduled flights.
Flight tracking site FlightAware noted that as of early Sunday morning (about 0230 GMT), more than 19,000 flights had been delayed globally and more than 2,600 were cancelled worldwide, reflecting the far‑reaching impact of regional airspace closures.
Major Airline Disruptions
Several international and regional carriers were forced to halt or modify operations:
- Gulf carriers saw significant cancellations, with Emirates cancelling around 38% of planned flights and Etihad about 30%.
- Qatar Airways suspended all flights from Doha, cancelling about 41% of its flights on Saturday.
- Syria Air, the national carrier of Syria, suspended all service until further notice.
- European carriers including Air France, British Airways, Swiss International Air Lines and Lufthansa announced cancellations to destinations across the Middle East, extending through early March for some routes.
- South and Southeast Asian airlines such as Air India, Biman Bangladesh, Pakistan International Airlines and Turkish Airlines also suspended flights to multiple Middle Eastern destinations amid the closures.
Flights to and from cities like Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Tehran, Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi were among those cancelled through early March, with carriers offering schedule updates, rebooking or refunds to affected passengers.
Impact on Global Travel
The shutdown of Middle Eastern airspace — home to major global transit hubs — has reverberated worldwide. Airlines from Europe, North America and Asia had to reroute or cancel flights to avoid the airspace closures, leading to delays and logistical complications for travelers en route to or through the region.
Passengers are advised to contact their airlines directly for flight status updates, rebooking options or refunds as carriers adjust operations in response to the fluid geopolitical situation. Aviation analysts say that air travel disruption could persist until tensions ease and safety conditions allow for the reopening of regional air routes.
