Flights across the Middle East were grounded and thousands of travellers stranded on Saturday as the United States and Israel launched a major joint assault on Iran, prompting widespread airspace closures. The attacks, which targeted sites within Iran, triggered immediate retaliatory measures and raised fears of a wider regional conflict.
Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates all announced at least partial closures of their airspace, disrupting international travel routes. Australian airlines were significantly affected, with Virgin Australia confirming the return of four Qatar Airways flights bound for Doha after countries closed their skies. “Flights that have left Doha and are travelling to Australia are continuing as scheduled,” a Virgin spokesperson said.
Flight-tracking data revealed the extent of the disruption, with FlightAware reporting over 11,200 flights delayed globally and more than 1,000 cancelled worldwide as of 11:30pm AEDT. Flightradar24 maps showed airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel and Bahrain largely empty on Saturday.
Major international transit hubs, crucial for Australian travellers connecting to Europe and Asia, were particularly impacted. Qatar Airways suspended all flights from Doha, while Dubai Airports halted all operations at both Dubai International and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International airports until further notice. Dubai’s government media office advised passengers “not to travel to the airport at this time” and to contact their airlines directly for updates.
Stranded passengers described chaotic scenes at airports across the region. Penni Milton, an Australian traveller with her two children, found herself stuck at Doha’s Hamad International Airport after their flight to Italy was turned back. “There’s thousands of people here… the backlog is going to be pretty serious,” she said, describing long queues and a lack of clear information. Ms. Milton and her family were en route to Europe to meet her husband, Paralympic skier Michael Milton, at the upcoming Paralympic Games. She reported a lack of communication from the airline regarding their next steps.
Video footage from Dubai Airport showed large crowds of passengers affected by flight cancellations and airspace closures. International carriers swiftly suspended flights to the region in response to the escalating conflict. Air India cancelled all flights to destinations in the Middle East, while Pakistan International Airlines halted services to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Doha and Kuwait.
Turkish Airlines suspended flights to ten Middle East nations, including Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Jordan, with some suspensions extending until March 2. Air France cancelled flights to Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut, and Tel Aviv, with Tel Aviv cancellations continuing until Sunday. British Airways suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until March 4, and its flight to Amman was cancelled on Saturday.
The European Union’s aviation regulator recommended that airlines avoid the affected airspace. The attacks follow weeks of escalating regional tensions and threats of conflict. According to reports, Iranian missiles struck capital cities around the Gulf region, with witnesses reporting warplanes and projectiles in the skies.
U.S. President Donald Trump has appealed to the Iranian people to “take over your government,” according to Israeli officials, though neither the U.S. Nor Iran has confirmed the Iranian Supreme Leader’s death as reported by those officials. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the military escalation and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, warning of the risk of a wider regional conflict with grave consequences.
