Travel chaos for Middle East - airlines continue to cancel hundreds of flights
Kyiv • UNN
The conflict with Iran has led to mass cancellations of flights by Emirates and Qatar Airways, causing airline shares to fall. Over 400 flights have been canceled by each airline, and Dubai and Doha airports have suspended operations.
Transport chaos for travelers has spread across the Middle East and beyond, leading to a sharp drop in airline stocks on Monday, as airlines across the Persian Gulf continued widespread flight suspensions, causing major disruptions at some of the world's busiest airports, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
Details
Emirates and Qatar Airways are among the hardest hit as the conflict with Iran leads to airport closures across the Middle East and throws the global aviation industry into chaos.
According to FlightAware, by 5:00 AM Kyiv time, each of these two airlines had canceled more than 400 flights. India's IndiGo, which operates flights to cities such as Dubai, Jeddah, and Doha, became the most affected airline outside the Middle East.
Emirates, the world's largest international airline, suspended all flights to and from Dubai until 3:00 PM local time on Monday and warned of disruptions until Thursday. Etihad Airways extended flight cancellations until 2:00 PM Monday, and Qatar Airways announced the suspension of flights to and from Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace.
Disruptions affected all of Asia: Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. canceled some flights to the Middle East until March 5. In India, IndiGo's flight suspension continues until Tuesday.
According to FlightAware, the most affected airports were Dubai International Airport and Hamad International Airport in Doha, which suspended all flights. At Dubai's main airport - Emirates' base airport and the world's busiest international airport - more than 600 departing flights were canceled. Other regional airports affected by the conflict included Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
"The closure of the world's largest transportation hub for international passengers is a huge blow," said Hanming Li, an independent tourism analyst based in Hong Kong. "Millions of passengers have been affected in a week. This is a serious disruption."
US President Donald Trump said that the bombing of Iran would continue until the goal was achieved, leading to a sharp drop in airline stocks as investors assessed the consequences of flight cancellations, airspace closures, and prolonged air travel disruptions.
Cathay Pacific shares fell 7% at the opening of trading in Hong Kong, and Singapore Airlines Ltd. shares fell 7.5%. Qantas Airways Ltd. shares lost up to 10%.
The UAE Civil Aviation Authority reported that it had assisted more than 20,000 affected passengers caught in air travel disruptions. Tens of thousands of people were stranded in a region that functions as a global superconnector, connecting any two points on the planet with one stop.
Several airports in the Persian Gulf were affected by strikes on Saturday when Iran sent missiles and drones to the region in response to an initial attack by Israeli and American air forces.
Abu Dhabi Airport reported that one person was killed and several were injured after the emirate intercepted an Iranian drone. Dubai's main airport, the world's busiest international hub, reported damage to a waiting lounge, injuring four employees.
Bahrain's main airport was attacked by a drone overnight, causing damage. Kuwait Airport was also hit by a drone, and several employees sustained minor injuries.
While the Persian Gulf is accustomed to airspace disruptions over large areas of the Middle East, as air routes over them have been restricted several times in the past two years, a complete shutdown on such a massive scale is unprecedented. The situation highlights the seriousness of the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the US, which has destabilized the energy-rich region, the publication writes.
The massive suspension of all flights will seriously disrupt the carefully constructed pattern of global air traffic, the publication notes. Many aircraft and crews are already out of place due to airspace closures, meaning that it will likely take days to resolve the accumulated problems even after flights resume.
Airlines worldwide, from Canada to Europe and Singapore, have announced the suspension of their flights to the Middle East.
Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad have spent decades building huge fleets that funnel passengers through their hubs, turning the Middle East into a vital artery for global air flows. These airlines have been a major engine of growth in the Persian Gulf as they transition from being intermediaries to attracting business and tourism to the region.
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