Overview
- Military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran and Iran’s response prompted rapid closures over Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, the UAE and Syria, forcing Dubai and Doha to halt or severely curtail operations.
- More than 5,000 flights were canceled within 24 hours, including roughly 1,800 on Saturday and 3,500 on Sunday, with trackers logging tens of thousands of delays worldwide.
- Diversions have strained alternate airports, with Brussels, London Heathrow and Zurich cited as unavailable due to parking congestion, and more than 100,000 travelers reported stranded on February 28.
- Gulf carriers reported deep cuts—Emirates canceling about 38% of flights, Etihad 30% and Qatar Airways 41%—as crews and aircraft remained out of position, including dozens of widebodies stuck in Australia.
- Airlines outlined staggered restarts: Etihad targets 2 a.m. March 2, Qatar Airways 9 a.m. March 2, and Emirates until 3 p.m. March 2 in Dubai, while several European and North American carriers extended suspensions on select routes into March 3–8.