Air travel across the Middle East and the Gulf region has been severely disrupted as airlines cancel thousands of flights amid the escalating West Asia conflict.
The crisis has forced carriers worldwide to suspend routes, reroute aircraft and revise schedules, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
More than 27,000 flights to major Middle East hubs have been cancelled since the fighting began. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium Ltd, as cited by Bloomberg, over half of the 51,600 flights scheduled to operate to or from the region since February 28 have been cancelled, creating widespread disruption across global aviation networks.
Thousands of travellers remain stranded across the Gulf, with many forced to take longer and more expensive routes to reach operational airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Airlines cancelling or adjusting Middle East flights
Airlines around the world have suspended or modified services to the Middle East as airspace restrictions and security concerns continue.
Air India has introduced additional flights to manage rising demand and offset the loss of services by Middle East carriers. Between March 5 and 11, the airline is operating three extra flights between Delhi and Toronto. It has also scheduled three additional flights between Delhi and Frankfurt from March 7 to 10 and one extra Delhi–Paris service. Some flights from Delhi and Mumbai are being operated via Jeddah as airlines adjust routes around restricted airspace.
Several international airlines have paused flights to key destinations in the region. Air France has suspended flights to Dubai and Riyadh until March 6 and services to Tel Aviv and Beirut until March 8.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has cancelled its remaining winter season flights to Tel Aviv and halted services to Dammam, Riyadh and Dubai until March 6.
British Airways has suspended flights to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv, while adding extra flights between London and Muscat to help accommodate passengers affected by the disruptions.
Cathay Pacific has cancelled flights to Dubai and Riyadh until March 14.
Delta Air Lines has suspended its New York–Tel Aviv route until at least March 22, while Korean Air has paused flights to Dubai until March 8.
Singapore Airlines has also cancelled services to and from Dubai until March 15 due to the ongoing geopolitical situation.
Some Gulf airlines resume limited flights
Despite the disruptions, some Gulf carriers have begun restoring limited services as certain airspace restrictions ease.
Etihad Airways resumed a restricted commercial flight schedule from Abu Dhabi on March 6, operating selected international routes until March 19. The temporary schedule connects Abu Dhabi with destinations across Asia, Europe and North America, including cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Toronto and Bangkok.
Dubai-based Emirates has cancelled more than 2,000 flights since the crisis began but has started operating a reduced schedule following the partial reopening of regional airspace. Flydubai has also resumed limited operations across its network.
Amid the disruption, Oman has emerged as an important transit point for airlines and passengers. Airports in Muscat, Salalah and Sohar remain operational, allowing airlines to reroute services and manage capacity as several regional airports face restrictions. Oman is also serving as an alternative entry point to the Gulf with onward connections to neighbouring countries, reported Gulf Business.
Indian aviation affected
The disruption in Middle East air travel has also affected Indian aviation operations.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said 281 flights scheduled to operate on Thursday by Indian domestic carriers were cancelled as airlines adjusted schedules due to the evolving situation in West Asia.
Indian airlines have also launched additional services to help manage passenger movement. IndiGo has started flights to Athens, Muscat and Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah and Madinah, and is operating repatriation flights to the UAE.
SpiceJet has scheduled around 20 special flights from the United Arab Emirates to India between March 5 and 7, including services between Fujairah and Mumbai and Delhi, along with a Dubai–Mumbai flight.
Conflict driving aviation disruption
The aviation crisis follows escalating tensions in West Asia after a joint US-Israel military strike on Iranian territory resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other senior figures.
Iran responded with waves of drone and missile attacks across multiple Arab countries, pushing the conflict into its seventh day and forcing airlines to reconsider routes and suspend flights across the Middle East.
As the situation continues to evolve, airlines are gradually restoring limited services while monitoring security conditions and regional airspace restrictions, though disruptions to Middle East air travel are expected to continue in the coming days.
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