
Airspace closures trigger widespread Middle East flight cancellations after strikes
Following a U.S.-Israel operation in Iran, airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar was closed, forcing major carriers to suspend or divert Middle East services; Cirium recorded 868 canceled flights into Middle East destinations on Saturday. Emirates suspended Dubai flights and Qatar Airways paused all Dubai/region services, Air India halted all Middle East flights for the weekend, and Lufthansa temporarily canceled routes to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Tehran through March 7 while rerouting others. United and Delta issued travel waivers as services to Tel Aviv and Dubai faced cancellations; an American Airlines flight to Doha turned back, and several Emirates arrivals and departures were diverted to Europe, increasing fuel use and travel times. Safety remains the priority.













