Middle East Airspace Shutdown Halts Flights After US-Israel Strikes on Iran

The escalating military conflict in the Middle East, triggered by U.S.-Israel joint strikes on Iranian targets followed by Iranian retaliatory missile and drone attacks, has led to widespread airspace closures and a near-total halt in civil aviation across key parts of the region.

Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and partially over the United Arab Emirates has been closed or severely restricted as of Saturday, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 and multiple aviation authorities. This has created large “blank” zones on global air traffic maps, with airlines forced to cancel, suspend, or reroute hundreds of flights.

Major hubs such as Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum (DWC) in the UAE, Doha (DOH) in Qatar, Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion) in Israel, and airports in Bahrain and Kuwait have seen all or most operations suspended until further notice. Emirates temporarily halted all flights to and from Dubai due to regional airspace closures, while Qatar Airways suspended operations amid Doha’s airspace shutdown. Turkish Airlines canceled flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Jordan (until March 2), and suspended services to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, and Oman on Saturday.

Global carriers including Lufthansa (suspending to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Tehran until March 7), Air France-KLM, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and others announced cancellations, diversions, or avoidances of affected airspace, leading to longer routes, higher fuel costs, and significant delays. Preliminary data indicates nearly 40% of flights to Israel and over 6% to the broader region canceled on Saturday alone.

In India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) convened a high-level video conference led by the Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation to review preparedness. The meeting involved senior officials from MoCA, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), airline operators, and major airport operators.

Indian carriers have been directed to continuously monitor airspace advisories, NOTAMs, and route restrictions, ensuring timely rerouting or diversions per global safety protocols. Airports, especially international gateways like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kochi, are on operational alert to handle potential diversions, unscheduled landings, passenger facilitation, ground handling, parking, crew logistics, and immigration support.

Air India suspended all flights to Middle East destinations, prioritizing passenger and crew safety. IndiGo halted operations to and from the Middle East and select international sectors until March 1, 6 pm IST, with around 72 flights affected. Air India Express and SpiceJet reported impacts, contributing to nearly 180 cancellations from Indian carriers. Examples include diversions like Air India’s Delhi-Tel Aviv flight to Mumbai and several Gulf-bound services from Kerala airports (Kochi, etc.) canceled or delayed.

The DGCA is coordinating closely with airlines for compliance with safety regulations, crew duty limits, and monitoring cascading effects on domestic schedules. MoCA is liaising with the Ministry of External Affairs for information flow and support for Indian nationals or carriers abroad.

Passengers are urged to contact airlines directly for real-time updates on delays, reroutings, or cancellations to minimize inconvenience. The Ministry emphasized that passenger and crew safety remains paramount, with the situation under constant watch and further updates to follow as the conflict evolves.