Iran-Israel war causes worst air travel disruptions

Following the Iran-Israel war, the airspace across 10 countries has been shut down, disrupting thousands of flights and leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded.

According to a spokesperson for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, the airspace of Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Syria has been completely closed.

The spokesperson added that the airspace of United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Jordan also remains closed to flight operations.

Airports across the UAE, including those in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, will remain shut until this afternoon, the spokesperson said.

However, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that Pakistan’s airspace is fully open and safe for all types of flight operations.

Key transit airports including Dubai – the world’s busiest international hub – and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and Doha in Qatar, were shut or severely restricted as much of the region’s airspace remained closed.

Earlier, Dubai International Airport sustained damage during Iran’s retaliatory attacks, while airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait were also hit.

Dubai and neighbouring Doha sit at the crossroads of east-west air travel, funnelling long-haul traffic between Europe and Asia through tightly scheduled networks of connecting flights.

With those hubs idle, aircraft and crews remained stranded out of position, disrupting airline schedules worldwide.

“It’s the sheer volume of people and the complexity,” said UK-based aviation analyst John Strickland.