Stranded travelers scramble to make new connections
Hundreds of thousands of travelers are stranded worldwide as major Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai and Doha, shut down following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, causing widespread air travel chaos.
A major aviation crisis has unfolded across the Middle East as of March 1-2, 2026, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that prompted retaliatory actions, leading to widespread airport closures and flight cancellations. Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International (DWC) in the UAE have halted operations indefinitely after DXB was reportedly hit by debris from strikes, with over 700 flight cancellations at Dubai alone. Qatar's Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha has fully suspended operations due to total airspace closure, while Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) also suspended all departures and arrivals. Israel closed all its airports, including Ben Gurion (TLV), until at least March 3, and Iran closed all civilian airports amid high military alert.
Major airlines have grounded their operations through at least March 2-7, with Emirates suspending all Dubai operations until March 2 at 3 p.m. UAE time (reporting 87% cancellations), Etihad suspending Abu Dhabi operations until March 2 at 2 a.m., and Qatar Airways suspending all Doha operations until further notice (with 36% cancellations). Other carriers like Lufthansa/Swiss suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Tehran, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi until March 7, while British Airways suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Bahrain, and Amman until March 3. Air India and Indigo canceled 20-400+ Middle East routes until March 2.
The crisis has stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers worldwide, with reports of over 2,300-3,400 flights canceled across seven major airports on Sunday alone, affecting roughly 90,000 passengers daily. Stranded passengers, particularly transit users from Southeast Asia (Singapore Changi, Kuala Lumpur KLIA), Europe, the US, India, and Bangladesh, face chaotic conditions with reports of passengers stuck on planes for hours, sleeping in terminals, and scrambling for reroutes. The Indian government is reportedly aiding citizens with visa extensions in affected areas.
Airspace restrictions extend across Iran, Israel, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, UAE, and other regional countries until March 1-7, creating global travel uncertainty. Airlines are urging passengers to check flight statuses and avoid airports, with no firm resumption timelines available. The crisis stems from US/Israeli strikes on Iran, which prompted retaliatory actions including missile/drone strikes that reportedly hit UAE airports, though Iran has not claimed responsibility for these specific airport incidents.
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