Thousands more flights were cancelled on Monday as the turmoil in global air travel caused by the US-Israel strikes on Iran continued, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded. Major Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai, the world's busiest international hub, have been closed for a third consecutive day in what analysts describe as the most acute aviation shock since the Covid pandemic.
Gulf carriers have been heavily affected. Emirates and Etihad Airways said flights to and from their hubs would not operate until late Tuesday morning, though limited special services were due to depart from the UAE on Monday evening. Qatar Airways has suspended operations as long as Qatari airspace remains closed. By 05:00 GMT, nearly 1,700 flights to the Middle East had been cancelled, according to analysts Cirium, though the figure is likely an undercount due to limited data from Iran and the UAE.
The disruption has spread beyond the region, affecting flights to Europe and Asia. easyJet cancelled return services between Paphos, Larnaca and the UK on Monday and Tuesday after a drone hit the RAF base in Akrotiri. British Airways cancelled its Monday Larnaca service and told passengers due to fly to the Gulf, Israel or Jordan until 15 March that they can delay travel free of charge. Virgin Atlantic has cancelled Dubai flights from London until Wednesday.
Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar remained virtually empty on Monday, according to Flightradar24. Crew and pilots are now scattered across the world, complicating the resumption of flights when airspace reopens. For the wealthy, private jets from Riyadh to Europe are available at a cost of up to $350,000 (£260,000), according to Vimana Private.
The financial impact was evident as shares in Tui dropped 9% and British Airways owner IAG fell 5%. Tui said it would contact all customers due to travel to the Middle East in the coming week while arranging returns from Dubai and Qatar.
