Hundreds of thousands of passengers remain stranded as key air hubs in the Middle East remain closed, with UK flights suspended until at least Monday. The disruption, described as the worst travel crisis since the Covid pandemic, follows US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
British Airways has cancelled Monday's service to Larnaca, while Virgin Atlantic has cancelled Dubai flights from London until Wednesday. EasyJet also cancelled return services between Paphos and Larnaca and the UK on Monday and Tuesday after a drone hit the RAF base in Akrotiri.
By 05:00 GMT Monday, nearly 1,700 flights to the Middle East had been cancelled, according to analysts Cirium, though the figure is artificially low due to limited data from Iran and the UAE. Major Gulf carriers Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways have suspended operations, with Emirates and Etihad only resuming limited 'special flights' Monday evening.
Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar remains virtually empty, affecting flights globally. Passengers are stranded from Bali to Frankfurt, with Air India cancelling flights to Europe and North America. Crew and pilots are scattered worldwide, complicating resumption of services.
Shares in travel companies fell sharply: Tui dropped 9%, British Airways owner IAG fell 5%. BA has allowed passengers due to fly to the Gulf, Israel, or Jordan until 15 March to delay travel free of charge. The crisis is expected to last another four weeks, according to Donald Trump.
