Hundreds of thousands of passengers remain stranded as the US-Israeli strikes on Iran continue to disrupt global air travel. Key air hubs in the Middle East have closed, causing the worst travel chaos since the Covid pandemic.
Gulf airports and airlines have suspended normal operations until at least 10:00 GMT on Tuesday. However, a limited number of special services were due to depart from the UAE on Monday evening. Major Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai – the world’s busiest international hub – have been closed for a third consecutive day.
According to analysts Cirium, almost 1,700 flights to the Middle East had been cancelled by 05:00 GMT on Monday, though the figure may be artificially low due to limited data from Iran and the UAE. Emirates and Etihad Airways said flights to and from their hubs would not operate until late Tuesday morning, while Qatar Airways has suspended operations as long as Qatari airspace remains closed.
The disruption has spread beyond the Middle East, with passengers stranded from Bali to Frankfurt. Air India cancelled flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to major European and North American cities. Some flights to Cyprus have also been affected, with easyJet cancelling return services between Paphos and Larnaca and the UK after a drone hit the RAF base in Akrotiri.
Airline and travel share prices fell sharply, with Tui dropping 9% and British Airways owner IAG down 5%. Some carriers are offering refunds or free changes to those due to travel in the coming weeks. The uber-wealthy have found an alternative route via Saudi Arabia, with private jets from Riyadh to Europe costing up to $350,000 (£260,000).
Analysts said the prolonged closure of the skies – more than 24 hours – and the shutdown of all three big Gulf transit hubs was unprecedented. Crew and pilots are now scattered across the world, complicating the resumption of flights whenever airspace reopens.
