Iran attack: Flights canceled and diverted across the Middle East amid U.S. and Israel military operation

Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain closed their airspace, with major airlines warning passengers to prepare for widespread disruptions.

FILE -Workers load medical aid onto an Air India plane to be flown to India, at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, May 4, 2021. (Menahem Kahana/Pool Photo via AP, File)

The U.S. and Israel’s attack on Iran led to commercial flights disruption on Saturday across the Middle East and beyond as regional airspaces began closing and tens of thousands of travelers around the globe were stranded.

Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace, while Oman’s Muscat International Airport shut down and all flights were restricted over the United Arab Emirates, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

Major airlines based in the Middle East with worldwide networks canceled hundreds of flights while many other travelers were unexpectedly diverted to airports across Europe or flown back to departure airports.

“For travelers, there’s no way to sugarcoat this,” said Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group. “You should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end.”

It is unclear how long the disruption to flight operations could last. Israeli and U.S. attack on Iran in June 2025 lasted 12 days.

Cirium, the aviation analytics firm, said it is hard to calculate the number of travelers affected worldwide. However, it estimated that at least 90,000 people alone change flights daily in airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi on just three airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.

The situation was changing quickly and airlines urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport.

Claire's went from tween mall icon to bankrupt — twice?

© Fast Company