As the Iran war enters its fourth day and expands in scope, airlines around the world are moving to suspend more flights to Middle Eastern destinations.
More than 12,300 flights have been canceled, including to major “transit” airports such as Dubai and Doha, due to Iran’s escalating attacks on Arab Gulf states, Jordan and Iraq’s Kurdistan region, according to Flight Radar 24 data.
Impact of cancellation
The impact of these cancellations is expected to extend beyond the current period as aircraft are parked in unassigned locations far from airports. Tens of thousands of travelers are also stranded, with many airlines operating special evacuation flights.
Aviation data analysis specialist Sirim revealed in a preliminary report yesterday that airlines canceled 1,560 flights to the Middle East today. This corresponds to 41% of all scheduled flights.
The report said the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar were among the countries most affected by flight cancellations.
Communication with companies
Airlines continued to cancel or divert flights to the Middle East as the United States and Israel began airstrikes against Iran.
The disruption is also impacting long-distance travel, as airspace remains closed or restricted. Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, urged travelers to check with their airlines before traveling.
