Global Aviation Enters Worst Crisis Since Covid as Iran-US-Israel War Disrupts Flights

Day 2 of the Iran-US-Israel war has pushed global aviation into its worst crisis since Covid — with the world’s busiest hub corridor effectively shut and no reopening timeline in sight. Here is what you need to know. Follow Financial Express’s live blog for real-time updates on flight disruptions, status, cancellations, market impact, and what it means for India Israel-Iran Follow Financial Express’s live blog for real-time updates on the flight disruptions Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi airports were hit the hardest by the cancellations The European Union is set to discuss political and consular matters related to the war in Iran, with the repatriation of European nationals trapped in Iran and across the Middle East emerging as one of the most pressing concerns, Euronews has learned. ✈️ Second look at Middle East airspace: Today vs last Sunday (same time). 🚨 Over 3,500 flights cancelled 🛑 Multiple airspaces closed across the region 👉 Track the changes in real time on https://t.co/c90Ihsuar8 https://t.co/pgXxdiG3Aw pic.twitter.com/4XViIZgniT #traveladvisory As part of our commitment to your safety and convenience, Air India is extending full flexibility if your travel to/from the Middle East is impacted due to the ongoing situation. For bookings made on or before 28 February 2026, with travel originally planned… Austrian Airlines is sending an evacuation flight to Muscat to return crew and staff not able to fly from Dubai. https://t.co/6mf4NjX2uL pic.twitter.com/1pg24yBCaF Travel Advisory As part of our ongoing commitment to operating responsibly and with foresight, we continue to take measured and responsible decisions across select international sectors. We recognise that evolving developments in Middle Eastern airspace may prompt questions… #watch | Delhi: Visuals from Indira Gandhi International Airport as passengers face inconvenience due to flight disruptions and cancellations following the situation in the Middle East. A passenger, Satinder Kumar Sahni, says, "I was going to Dubai... My flight got cancelled...… pic.twitter.com/vbtKXJXw1j In view of airspace restrictions arising from geopolitical developments in the Middle East, a total of 350 flights operated by Indian domestic carriers have been cancelled on 01.03.2026. Passengers are advised to check their flight status with the concerned airlines and remain… ADVISORY ON SINGAPORE AIRLINES FLIGHTS AFFECTED BY THE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST Due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the following Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights will be cancelled from 28 February to 7 March 2026: · SQ494 departing… Regional Airspace Disruption – Operational Update Regional airspace closures continue to impact Etihad’s operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 02:00 UAE time on Monday 2 March. Guests due to travel are advised to: -Check their flight status at… Important We are aware of fraudulent accounts impersonating Qatar Airways and requesting personal information. Qatar Airways will never ask for passwords, OTPs, banking details, or other sensitive information via social media or direct messages. Please interact only with our… No. @Emirates - and other airlines - are not doing NEARLY enough to allow people to return home. Passengers stranded in Europe are asked to wait days. Those in the Middle East are not given reliable updates. This is sham online PR with no relief to customers on the ground. https://t.co/Z4HrYpPC5T More than 3,400 flights have been cancelled today across seven airports in the Middle East (DXB, DOH, AUH, SHJ, KWI, BAH, DWC), as many airspaces remain closed for security reasons. pic.twitter.com/L48tAlVmGU Current flight status from official X accounts. @emirates - Suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 15:00 UAE time on Monday, 2 March. @qatarairways - Will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A… pic.twitter.com/mkrPIKY3C2 Major aviation hubs in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai International Airport (DXB), were targeted in a large-scale Iranian missile and drone attack on February 28 and March 1, 2026. The strikes were reportedly in retaliation for a massive U.S. and Israeli military operation against Iran. Passengers were largely cleared from the terminals prior to the strikes due to early warning protocols. However, social media footage showed smoke inside terminal areas as staff and remaining travelers evacuated. Emirates has suspended all operations to and from Dubai till 15:00 local time on March 3. A lot of passengers have further taken to social media showcasing smoke, destruction and make-shift sleeping arrangements being made in Dubai where passengers are sleeping the Airport basement (parking area.) 🚫🔥Chaos and destruction at Dubai airport. pic.twitter.com/EcK1w7r9kB At least 184 international flights of different airlines from Pakistan to the Middle East have been cancelled since Saturday owing to the escalating situation after the US and Israel attacked Iran. A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Sharjah, Riyadh, Jeddah from Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Sialkot, Peshawar, Faisalabad had all been cancelled. "The flights were on the schedule of different airlines," Hafeez Khan said. International flights in the Middle East have all been badly disrupted or suspended after the closure of the Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports which serve as a major hub for connecting flights to Europe, USA, Canada, South America etc. Airline authorities have suspended all air traffic in the region because of the increase in missile and drone attacks by Iran on the US bases in the region. Hundreds of thousands of travelers remain either stranded or diverted to other airports as Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain extended closure of their airspace. There also was no flight activity over the United Arab Emirates, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said, after the government there announced a "temporary and partial closure" of its airspace. Current flight status from official X accounts. @emirates - Suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 15:00 UAE time on Monday, 2 March. @qatarairways - Will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A… pic.twitter.com/mkrPIKY3C2 Hundreds of thousands of travelers remain either stranded or diverted to other airports as Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain extended closure of their airspace. There also was no flight activity over the United Arab Emirates, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said, after the government there announced a "temporary and partial closure" of its airspace. Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. "Passengers are advised to monitor the latest flight information via http://qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways mobile app," the airline said in a post on X. Air India has cancelled 22 more international services for Sunday, taking the total number of overseas flight cancellations announced so far to 50 due to the Middle East crisis. Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights on March 1 due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry. A video of passengers fleeing smoke-filled passageway at Dubai International Airport on Sunday after a reported Iranian strike is doing the rounds on X. New agency Reuters quoting Aviation sources reported that an overnight Iranian attack damaged one of the terminals at the airport. Indian badminton star PV Sindhu shared her first-hand frightening experience of being stranded at the Dubai airport where she has been stranded following the shutting off airspace after the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran. Taking to her official X account early Sunday morning, the sports icon wrote online that the worst was far from over as major landmarks in UAE’s tourist hotspot suffered the ravages of the ongoing military onslaught. Sri Lanka on Saturday announced a special concession for foreign nationals stranded in the country following the cancellation of Middle East-bound flights from February 28, 2026. According to Department of Immigration and Emigration, the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration stated that travellers unable to leave the country within their visa validity due to the flight suspensions could face legal and administrative complications. IndiGo, in its Travel Advisory issued Sunday, said that the temporary suspension of select international flights that use Middle East airspace has been extended until 2nd March 2026. "We continue to observe developments across parts of the Middle East and surrounding regions with utmost attentiveness. We understand that this period may feel uncertain, and we want to reassure you that every decision is being taken with care and prudence," the airline said. In addition to the flights already announced as cancelled, Air India has cancelled the following services scheduled for 1 March: · AI131/ AI130: Mumbai-London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow)-Mumbai · AI113/ AI118: Delhi- Birmingham / Birmingham-Delhi · AI155/ AI156: Delhi-Amsterdam / Amsterdam-Delhi · AI151/ AI152: Delhi-Zurich / Zurich-Delhi · AI137 / AI138: Delhi-Milan / Milan-Delhi · AI153 / AI154: Delhi-Vienna / Vienna-Delhi · AI133 / AI132: Bengaluru-London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow)-Bengaluru · AI157 / AI158: Delhi-Copenhagen / Copenhagen/Delhi · AI2017 / AI2018 and AI2015/AI2016: Delhi-London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow)- Delhi · AI2029 / AI2030: Delhi-Frankfurt / Frankfurt/Delhi