Nearly 40% of Flights to Persian Gulf Countries Cancelled

20:00; 01 March 2026 year

### Over 1,500 Flights Canceled Across Persian Gulf and Middle East Region By 3:00 PM local time on Sunday, 1,579 out of 3,990 scheduled inbound flights to countries in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East were canceled, according to data from Cirium cited by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). This amounts to nearly 40% of all planned arrivals. The cancellations affected 10 countries in the region: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Qatar, Iran, Israel, Oman, Jordan, and Bahrain. The majority of cancellations were in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Flights from major international airports such as Heathrow Airport, Frankfurt Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were impacted. The reduction in air traffic affected routes from Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa, highlighting the global scale of the consequences. Among the airlines announcing temporary suspension of flights over the weekend were Emirates, flydubai, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, Qatar Airways, IndiGo, Air India Express, Pakistan International Airlines, British Airways, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Wizz Air, Oman Air, Saudia, and Jazeera Airways. Some carriers announced a pause until at least Monday. Emirates, flydubai, and Air Arabia will suspend flights until 3:00 PM UAE time on March 2, while Air India Express will halt operations until midnight on March 2. Airspace in the UAE and several other regional countries remains closed as a precautionary measure. The decisions come amid ongoing military tensions and risks to civilian aviation.

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