The US-Israel-Iran war starting February 28, 2026, has caused over 37,000 flight cancellations in the Middle East through March 8, alongside airspace closures, nearly $1 billion in aviation losses, and oil prices up over 15%. Airlines including Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad are resuming limited schedules, while Air India adds extra flights amid surging airfares and battered stocks.
The conflict in the Middle East, ignited on February 28, 2026, by US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets followed by Iranian retaliatory actions, has profoundly disrupted global aviation. Airspace closures in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and beyond grounded flights from major hubs like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. Cirium data shows more than 37,000 cancellations to/from the Middle East from February 28 to March 8, with over 1,500 at key airports by March 7 alone. Incidents like Tehran's airport attacks and a NATO-intercepted ballistic missile over Turkey on March 4 underscore the risks.
Major carriers are cautiously restarting. Qatar Airways suspended operations due to Qatari airspace closure but began limited repatriation flights from March 7, expanding March 9-10 to destinations including Seoul, Moscow, London, Delhi, Madrid, Islamabad, Beijing, Perth, Nairobi, Cairo, Jeddah, Manila, Kochi, Muscat, Istanbul, Mumbai, Frankfurt, Colombo, and Milan, aiding up to 8,000 stranded passengers housed by the Qatari government. Emirates carried 30,000 passengers out of Dubai on March 6 and aims for full capacity soon; Etihad resumed to over 70 destinations from March 6-19. Oman Air ran nearly 80 extra flights via Muscat, assisting 97,000 passengers, though some routes remain canceled until March 15. Turkish Airlines suspended flights to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan until March 13; Lufthansa halted to Dubai/Abu Dhabi until March 10.
To fill gaps, Air India added 78 extra flights on nine routes to London, Paris, New York, and Colombo from March 10-18. The industry faces nearly $1 billion in losses, with tourism hubs like Dubai, Doha, and Riyadh forecasting $34-56 billion revenue drops and 27% fewer arrivals in 2026.
Economically, Brent crude surged up to 29% and over 15% from recent levels, hammering airline stocks—Korean Air Lines fell 8.6%, Air New Zealand 7.8%, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa 4-6%—and spiking fares, e.g., Seoul-London from $564 to $4,359. Pilots report heightened stress from drones, missiles, and detours. Experts warn prolonged high fuel costs could ground thousands of planes, straining carriers like post-2005 hurricanes.
