Passengers stranded at Beirut airport (AP photo)

Flight operations worldwide have been largely affected by the constantly evolving situation in the Middle East, triggered by the joint US-Israel attack on Iran that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and strong retaliation from Tehran. The exchange of missile strikes amid escalating tensions has made the skies unsafe for aviation, leading to widespread flight cancellations as several Gulf nations shut their airspace. Airports in Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates have also closed their airspace.The disruption followed joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at Israel and US military installations in the Gulf. The military campaign has continued after Khamenei’s death, with both the US and Israel striking Iranian military sites.Iran in return, has fired missiles and drones at Israel, US bases in the Gulf region, and other regional targets.Key transit hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi handle major traffic between Europe, Asia and Africa. Airlines operating through West Asia can be diverted over Saudi Arabia or use longer oceanic routes, leading to delays and higher costs. More than 2,800 flights were cancelled across the Middle East on Sunday, according to Flight Aware. Around 1,600 flights were cancelled by West Asian carriers alone. In India, nearly 350 flights were cancelled during the day. Delhi airport reported 100 cancellations, while Mumbai reported 125. Tiruchirappalli airport also saw multiple cancellations.

Air India

Air India suspended flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar until March 2. It cancelled around 125 international flights and said North America and Europe flights would operate on alternative routes with technical stops in Rome. The airline advised passengers to check updates online.“In view of the continuing situation in the Middle East, Air India has extended the suspension of all flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Qatar until 2359 hrs IST on 2 March 2026. Additionally, select flights to Europe scheduled on 2 March 2026 have been cancelled,” the airline said.

IndiGo

IndiGo suspended select international flights using West Asia airspace until March 2. It offered passengers options to rebook or claim refunds and said updates would be shared directly. “This extension is a precautionary measure to ensure that we uphold the highest standards of safety for our customers and crew,” the IndiGo statement read.

Akasa Air

Akasa Air suspended flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh until March 2. It offered full refunds or free rescheduling for affected passengers. “Passengers with impacted bookings until March 7, 2026, may opt for a full refund or reschedule their travel at no additional charge,” it said.

SpiceJet

SpiceJeat cancelled all flights operating between India and the UAE (to and from UAE) for March 1, 2026 and March 2, 2026.“Due to the temporary closure of UAE airspace amid the current situation, all SpiceJet flights operating between India and the UAE have been cancelled till 01 March 2026. Passengers are advised to check their flight status before proceeding to the airport,” the airline said.

Emirates

Emirates suspended all flights to and from Dubai until at least Monday afternoon, local time. The airline asked passengers to check flight status before heading to the airport.The official statement read: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 1500hrs UAE time on Monday, 2 March.”

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways flight said its operations remained temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The airline further said it will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A further update will be provided on March 02 by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC)

Etihad

“Regional airspace closures continue to impact Etihad’s operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 14:00 UAE time on Monday 2 March,” Etihad said in a social media post. The Gulf carrier has cancelled 30 percent of its flights, according to Aviation analytics agency Cirium said.Thousands of passengers remain stranded across West Asia and other international hubs. Travellers are waiting at airports and hotels with no clear timeline on when normal flight operations will resume as the fighting continues.