Airspace closures across West Asia disrupted global aviation between February 28 and March 2. Flights were cancelled, routes were diverted and passengers were stranded across major transit hubs. Indian airlines suspended Gulf operations, while Asian airline stocks fell as markets reacted to the conflict.
The disruption followed the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in coordinated United States and Israeli airstrikes on February 28. Iranian state media confirmed his death early Sunday. Iran responded within hours by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and countries across the Gulf that host American military bases, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. Explosions were reported near major aviation hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forcing multiple countries to shut or restrict airspace and triggering widespread flight disruptions.
“Additionally, select flights to Europe scheduled on 2 March 2026 have been cancelled, along with the scheduled return legs of AI117: Amritsar–Birmingham, AI151/AI152: Delhi–Zurich, AI157/AI158: Delhi–Copenhagen and AI114: Birmingham–Delhi,” the airline spokesperson told the Hindustan Times.
“Due to airspace closure in Dubai (DXB), some of our flights may be affected. Passengers are advised to check their flight status at http://spicejet.com/#status or contact our 24*7 Reservation Helpline numbers at +91 (0)124 4983410 or +91 (0)124 7101600 for assistance.”
Akasa Air temporarily suspended flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh until March 2, offering passengers refunds or rescheduling options.
The disruption affected passengers across regional transit hubs:
Authorities issued multiple alerts and assistance measures for Indian nationals in the region:
Airspace closures across West Asia expanded rapidly after the escalation in hostilities. Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 said more than 3,400 flights were cancelled across seven airports in West Asia on March 1, with airspace across much of the region closed and GPS experiencing “severe” spoofing and jamming.
Iran shut its airspace through at least March 3 via a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), an official aviation alert issued to pilots and airlines. Several countries, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, also closed or restricted airspace as military operations continued.
Airports in the Gulf region were directly affected. Iran launched missiles and drones targeting locations across the Gulf, striking airports in Kuwait, Dubai and Bahrain and causing damage. Debris from an intercepted drone targeting Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi killed one person and injured others.
Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central–Al Maktoum International Airport suspended operations “until further notice”, according to Dubai Airports.
“Emergency response teams were immediately deployed and are managing the situation in coordination with the relevant authorities,” Dubai Airports said, adding that four staff members were injured.
Regional airlines suspended services across their networks. Emirates said: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai. We are actively monitoring the situation and engaging with relevant authorities.”
Etihad Airways suspended departures from Abu Dhabi until March 1 afternoon local time, while Qatar Airways suspended operations through March 1 pending a safety review.
Oman Air suspended flights to Baghdad, citing regional developments.
Airlines across Europe and Asia adjusted operations as closures spread across key transit corridors linking Europe, Asia and Africa.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin on February 28 advising airlines not to operate in the airspace of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, citing a “high risk” to commercial aviation.
“Given the ongoing military intervention, retaliatory actions against U.S. and Israeli assets in the region are likely to occur, introducing additional high risks not only to the airspace of Iran but also to that of neighbouring states hosting US military bases,” EASA said.
Lufthansa Group suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil and Tehran until March 7 and said it would avoid airspace across multiple countries in the region.
Air France cancelled February 28 and March 1 flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh, while British Airways cancelled services to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until March 3, Reuters reported.
Virgin Atlantic temporarily avoided Iraqi airspace and cancelled its London–Dubai service on Saturday, Reuters reported.
Turkish Airlines cancelled flights to several destinations in West Asia, including Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE and Oman, according to Reuters.
Pakistan International Airlines suspended flights to Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, PTI reported.
Airports outside the region also issued advisories. London Heathrow said some flights were cancelled or delayed due to West Asia airspace closures, while Boston Logan International Airport warned travellers that flights to Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv could be affected.
Airline stocks across Asia fell on Monday, March 2, as markets reacted to the conflict.
InterGlobe Aviation, parent company of IndiGo, and SpiceJet saw their shares fall more than 5 percent as markets opened on Monday.
Shares in Singapore Airlines were down about 4.5 percent, while Australia’s Qantas and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific fell by around 5.4 percent and 2.8 percent respectively. Japan Airlines declined about 5.6 percent.
Other Asian carriers also dropped, including ANA Holdings, Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, AirAsia X, China Airlines and EVA Airways, with several stocks falling at least 4 percent.
Broader Asian equity markets also declined. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell about 1.6 percent, Singapore’s Straits Times Index dropped around 1.8 percent, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined about 1.4 percent.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued emergency contact details for Indian nationals affected by the disruption in West Asia:
Doha, Qatar: +970592916418
Emails: repoffice@mea.gov.in | cons.ramallah@mea.gov.in
Abu Dhabi / UAE assistance:
Toll-free: 800-46342
WhatsApp: +971543090571
Emails: pbsk.dubai@mea.gov.in | ca.abudhabi@mea.gov.in
First Published: Mar 02, 2026, 13:21
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