By Staff Reporter
Nearly 13,000 flights have been cancelled across the Middle East since the outbreak of regional military conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, severely disrupting air travel across the Gulf and beyond.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, a total of 32,003 flights were scheduled to arrive or depart from the Middle East between February 28 and March 3. Of these, 12,903 flights were cancelled, representing 40.3 per cent of all scheduled operations during the period.
Airports across several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries were rendered non-operational as airspace closures and security concerns forced airlines to ground aircraft. The widespread disruption followed Iranian strikes targeting locations across the region, escalating tensions and prompting aviation authorities to suspend or restrict flight movements.
Data from Cirium shows that 3,133 flights were cancelled on Saturday alone. Cancellations surged to 5,270 on Sunday before easing slightly to 4,500 on Monday, as authorities in some countries began assessing limited operational resumptions.
The General Civil Aviation Authority in the United Arab Emirates announced on Monday the launch of special and exceptional flights to facilitate the departure of stranded passengers. The move marked a partial reopening of UAE airspace after days of near-total suspension.
Despite the gradual resumption of limited operations in the UAE, aviation authorities and airlines have strongly advised passengers not to proceed to airports unless directly contacted by their airline with confirmed flight details.
Airspace in several other Gulf states remains closed, with full normalisation of operations dependent on further security assessments and regional developments.
Cirium estimates that approximately 900,000 airline seats per day are typically scheduled for flights to, from, and within the Middle East, underscoring the scale of disruption to global aviation networks as the conflict continues to impact the region’s air connectivity.
Source: Khaleej Times
