Iran: 2,500 daily Middle East flights impacted as aviation industry bleeds

The global aviation industry has been thrown into turmoil following Saturday’s coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran. The development has triggered widespread airspace closures across the Middle East, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of flights and reroute thousands more. Within hours of the strikes and reports of retaliatory missile activity, […]

The global aviation industry has been thrown into turmoil following Saturday’s coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran.

The development has triggered widespread airspace closures across the Middle East, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of flights and reroute thousands more.

Within hours of the strikes and reports of retaliatory missile activity, several countries in the region shut their airspace as a precaution, citing safety concerns for civilian aircraft.

The cascading effect disrupted one of the world’s most critical aviation corridors linking Europe, Asia, Africa and the Gulf.

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Passengers stranded in Nigeria, others

In Nigeria, most flights to the Middle East countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were cancelled over the escalation in the crisis.

It was gathered that Qatar Airways was taxiing in preparation for take-off to Doha when the airline aborted take-off. The QR 1408 from Lagos-Doha was later cancelled.

One of the passengers said, “We had already fastened our seatbelts and the plane was taxiing when the announcement came. We were almost airborne and we would have been caught in the confusion.”

Major Gulf hubs were among the hardest hit. Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport announced temporary suspensions and delays as regional airspace restrictions tightened. Hamad International Airport was also affected following the closure of Qatari airspace.

Airlines moved swiftly to ground or suspend operations. Emirates and Etihad Airways adjusted schedules as access to key flight corridors narrowed.

“Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai,” Emirates Airlines said in a post on its X handle.

While advising customers to check its website for update, the airline said, “We are actively monitoring the situation and engaging with relevant authorities.

“We apologise to customers affected by disruptions for any inconvenience caused, and we are assisting them with rebooking, refunds, or alternative travel arrangements.

“The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”

Qatar Airways confirmed the temporary suspension of flights to and from Doha, citing safety as its top priority.

“Qatar Airways Group confirms the temporary suspension of its flights to, and from, Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

“The airline is working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support impacted passengers and will resume operations when the airspace re-opens.

“Once usual operations resume, we anticipate delays to our flight schedule. We have also deployed additional ground staff at Hamad International Airport and other key airports to assist affected passengers.

“The safety of our passengers and employees is always our highest priority, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Also, the raging tension has disrupted plans of pilgrims performing Umrah (lesser Hajj) in Saudi Arabia.

Following today’s strike, Saudia Airlines announced the cancellation of its flights to and from Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Moscow, and Peshawar due to the ongoing current situation.

Saudia said, “These cancellations will remain in effect until 23:59 (UTC) on March 2.

Saudia also stated that guests will be informed immediately of any new developments and urged them to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

The airline affirmed that the safety of its guests and flight crews is its highest priority, and further updates will be provided through its official platforms.

European carriers including Lufthansa, Air France and British Airways cancelled services to several Middle Eastern destinations and rerouted long-haul flights to avoid affected airspace. Asian operators such as Air India and IndiGo suspended multiple Gulf routes, leaving thousands of passengers stranded or scrambling for alternatives.

The Gulf serves as a primary transit bridge for flights between Europe and South Asia, as well as key cargo routes connecting Asia to Africa and the Americas.

With major corridors temporarily inaccessible, airlines are being forced into longer detours that increase fuel consumption and operational costs which ultimately increase operating costs for airlines.

Also, Ethiopian Airlines confirmed it has cancelled flights to and from parts of the region due to the deteriorating security situation. Services to Amman, Tel Aviv, Dammam and Beirut have so far been suspended.

The airline said it is closely monitoring developments and will take further measures to ensure the safety of passengers and crew, urging travelers to check flight status through its digital channels or contact its customer service centre before heading to the airport.

Reports across the globe indicated that air traffic monitoring services showed sharply reduced commercial movement over Iran, Iraq and surrounding areas, highlighting the scale of the shutdown.

Experts said airlines are left with no other option other than to avoid the conflict zone until further notice.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stepped in decisively to assist more than 20,200 passengers stranded after airspace closures caused by rising tensions among the US, Israel, and Iran.

The government announced that affected travelers will receive full support, including hotel accommodations, meals, and rebooking assistance, ensuring their safety and comfort during the disruption.

Airspace closures in the region have forced airlines to cancel or reroute numerous international flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the UAE and neighboring countries.

In response, the UAE’s aviation authorities, in coordination with airlines, have implemented emergency protocols to provide immediate relief to travelers.

A UAE government spokesperson stated, “The safety, security, and well-being of travelers remain our top priority. Every passenger affected by these airspace disruptions will receive full assistance while alternative travel arrangements are being made.”

 

What disruptions mean for airline industry – Expert

Speaking with our correspondent, aviation expert and Vice-President of Aviation Roundtable, Capt. Alex Nwuba stated that the global aviation disruption is expected over the impending attacks on Iran.

“You would have expected that the airspace would be unsafe and there would be closure. If Iran was attacked, it would attack US bases and missiles would be flying through the air which means airplanes would not be flying,” he said.

He stated that airlines can do nothing but to wait for the airspace to be safe as missiles are currently flying left, right and centre.

He however stated that this would results in billions of losses for airlines.

“Until this war ends, there would be no flight in the region. For the airlines in the region, obviously there would be massive losses. Every day they are not flying, they are losing money, they are losing revenue. They are losing money in terms of the fact that they have to carry their cost when they are not operating, then they are losing revenue because they have sold tickets they are not going to carry people for which they would have to carry them at a later date. So it is a major loss and nobody would be compensated.”

Nwuba noted that Nigeria has very minimal loss because “our carriers do not operate in that area.”

“We fly to the UK internationally but we have to look at it. Is there a potential for this to escalate and if there is, is it part of the region we operate to? Carriers coming from the gulf and bringing Nigerians home obviously would be affected,” he added.