Global air travel remained heavily disrupted on Sunday as war in Iran kept major Middle Eastern airports including Dubai, the world's busiest international hub, closed for a second day in one of the sharpest aviation shocks in recent years.
Key transit airports, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Doha in Qatar, were shut or severely restricted as much of the region’s airspace remained closed after U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The ripple effects were felt far beyond the Middle East, with tens of thousands of passengers stranded as far as Bali, Kathmandu and Frankfurt.
Israel said it had launched another wave of strikes on Iran on Sunday while loud blasts were heard for a second day near Dubai and over Doha after Iran launched retaliatory air attacks on the neighbouring Gulf states.
Dubai International Airport sustained damage during Iran's attacks while airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait were also hit.
Thousands of flights have been affected across the Middle East, according to data on flight-tracking platform FlightAware.
Emirates, the world's largest international carrier, said it had suspended all operations to and from its Dubai megahub until Monday.
Qatar Airways, which has suspended all operations, said it would provide a further update on Monday and Germany's Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), opens new tab extended its suspension of flights to the region to March 8.
Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar remained virtually empty, maps by Flightradar24 showed on Sunday.
The flight-tracking service said that a new pilot bulletin had extended the closure of Iranian airspace until at least 0830 GMT on March 3, though regional airline sources said there was no certainty how long the conflict-related turmoil would continue.
SHOCKWAVES FAR BEYOND THE MIDDLE EAST
The region and its airlines have become used to travel disruption over the past few years, but such a prolonged closure of the skies - more than 24 hours - and the shutdown of all three major Gulf transit hubs is unprecedented, analysts said.
The Gulf is also a major intersection for air cargo, putting further pressure on trade lanes on top of disruption at sea.
Airline executives have said that crew and pilots are now scattered across the world, complicating the complex process of resuming flights when airspace reopens.
Carriers around the world also face higher oil prices after Brent crude jumped 10% to $80 a barrel over the counter on Sunday, with analysts predicting they could climb as high as $100.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-iran-conflict-disrupts-thousands-flights-travel-chaos-deepens-2026-03-01/
Ocean and air cargo carriers have deployed temporary suspensions for various Middle East-connected services in response to an ongoing military conflict between Iran and the...
total worldwide tonnages dropped by -16% in week 8 (16 to 22 February) after falling by -5% the previous week
More than half (55%) of supply chain leaders expect that advancements in agentic AI will reduce the need to hire for entry-level positions
The Middle East’s air freight sector is under growing pressure as escalating military tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States disrupt commercial aviation across...
The legal battle over US tariffs has entered uncharted territory, leaving importers navigating a landscape defined as much by uncertainty as by policy.
The US decision to implement a new 10% global tariff will create uncertainty and supply chain disruption, according to the Airforwarders Association (AfA).
UPS’s hub at Louisville Muhammed Ali International Airport (SDF) now has more daily flights and tonnage capacity than any other express air cargo hub in the world.
Transport trade body Logistics UK has called for clarity regarding US moves to introduce a worldwide tariff rate of 15% on imports into the country.
AI is transforming supply chains with faster insights, smarter automation, and greater resilience
ALS