Gulf Airlines Extend Flight Cancellations Amid Middle East Tensions

Gulf airlines are extending flight cancellations as regional tensions disrupt air travel, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and causing widespread chaos across global aviation networks.

The closures have created a domino effect on global travel, as hubs in Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi serve as crucial connection points between East and West, according to aviation experts. The grounding of flights has left planes and crews stuck in unintended locations, disrupting airline schedules worldwide. The duration of the disruption poses a significant challenge, requiring complex logistical operations to reschedule flights even after airspace reopens.

The United Arab Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority reported it was assisting over 20,000 affected passengers. Abu Dhabi airport reported casualties and injuries, while Dubai's main airport reported damage to a passenger terminal, resulting in injuries to four employees. Minor damage was also reported at airports in Bahrain and Kuwait, prompting comprehensive security closures.

Saudi Arabian Airlines announced the cancellation of flights to and from Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Moscow, and Peshawar. Flynas also suspended flights to numerous regional destinations, including Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Doha, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Damascus, Moscow, Tbilisi, Baku, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Flightradar24 data indicated that airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar was largely empty. A notice to airmen extended the closure of Iranian airspace.

Airlines across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East have canceled or rerouted flights to avoid closed or restricted airspace, resulting in longer flights and increased fuel costs, Reuters reported.

The disruption has been compounded by the loss of flight paths over Iran and Iraq, which have become increasingly important since the Russia-Ukraine war forced airlines to avoid the airspace of both countries. According to Flightradar24, the closure of Middle Eastern airspace is creating a bottleneck for airlines, and fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan poses another risk.

Indian Airlines canceled flights from Delhi, Mumbai, and Amritsar to major cities in Europe and North America.