On the night of Saturday February 28, 2026, the USA and Israel launched targeted military strikes on Iranian military sites. Teheran responded by firing missiles and drones at Israel and several Gulf states. Within hours, the skies over the Middle East were closed. As a result, thousands of travellers found themselves stranded, diverted or in total uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
If you (or someone you know) is currently traveling in the region, here's what you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The figures speak for themselves. According to Flightradar24 data, more than 19,000 flights delayed<\/strong> And 3,400 flights cancelled in a single day<\/strong> at the region's seven main airports. At Doha's Hamad International Airport, boarding gates emptied within hours. In Dubai, queues of stranded passengers waited to book hotel rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cause: a cascade of airspace closures. As of March 1, airspace closed to civilian flights<\/strong> are as follows: Israel, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Qatar<\/a>, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Lebanon. The United Arab Emirates have also temporarily suspended their airspace, with a partial resumption expected on Sunday March 1 at 3pm local time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following countries remain accessible, but under close surveillance: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Oman.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Faced with the scale of the situation, the major companies reacted swiftly. Emirates<\/strong> has suspended all operations to and from Dubai until Tuesday March 4. minimum<\/span>, and is offering its passengers a full refund or no-cost rescheduling on all flights until March 5. Etihad<\/strong> suspended its flights from Abu Dhabi. Air France<\/strong> cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh. British Airways<\/strong> is offering its passengers the possibility of modifying their bookings free of charge until March 6 for all affected destinations: Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv. Gradual resumption is expected between March 1 and 7, subject to air corridors being secured.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat airlines do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n