On Saturday, multiple Middle East air corridors shut down after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, forcing airlines to divert aircraft mid-route and leaving passengers stranded far beyond the region. The travel chaos unfolded as Donald Trump described the US move as major combat operations and Israel said it had launched preventive missile attacks.
As per the report by Associated Press, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar halted civilian flights through their skies, while airspace over southern Syria was also restricted. Planes headed to hubs like Tel Aviv and Dubai were rerouted or sent back, while Dubai International Airport saw upwards of 700 cancellations.
As per the Dubai’s airport operator, service was stopped without a restart time at Dubai International and Dubai World Central—Al Maktoum International Airport.
Mass Flight Cancellations Signal Escalating Conflict
Emirates also announced it would pause flights in and out of Dubai International, and Air Canada dropped its Dubai routes for the day. Qatar Airways Group said it was canceling trips to and from Doha because the closures cut off safe routing.
Trump framed the operation as aimed at Iran’s military, its proxies, and its nuclear program, saying, “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime — a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.” He also said, “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated,” while warning that “bombs will be dropping everywhere.”
How Geopolitical Tensions Are Disrupting Travel
A broader wave of airline changes followed, including KLM’s plan to stop Tel Aviv service starting Sunday and multiple carriers canceling Lebanon flights, including Air France, Lufthansa, Transavia, Qatar Airways and Pegasus. Virgin Atlantic pulled its Heathrow-to-Dubai flight, said it would steer clear of Iraqi airspace, and noted some routes to India, the Maldives and Riyadh may take longer, reports the outlet.
British Airways said Tel Aviv and Bahrain service would stay paused until next week, and it also canceled Saturday flights to Amman. United Airlines said Saturday morning flights headed for Tel Aviv and Dubai were either diverted or sent back to the U.S., and it issued a waiver allowing no-fee changes while canceling U.S.-Tel Aviv trips through Monday and U.S.-Dubai trips through Sunday.
As per the report, Turkish Airlines said that flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan would be halted until Monday, and it also suspended Saturday service to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said that it fired what it called a first large retaliatory barrage of missiles and drones toward Israel, while Israel’s military said it detected retaliatory strikes from Iran. As reported by the news outlet, the shutdowns are expected to create knock-on problems for Dubai-based Emirates and other carriers that rely on the city as a global connecting hub.
Military Readiness Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty
As tensions escalate in the region, Trump acknowledged that while military action may be necessary, there is uncertainty regarding potential outcomes, stating there “may or may not be regime change in Iran.” This perspective reflects a significant sentiment among traders, who are currently pricing in a 78% chance of a U.S. strike on Iran by the end of the year, according to prediction markets.
Moreover, the Pentagon’s urgent need for defensive munitions has become apparent; during previous conflicts, the U.S. reportedly expended as many as 150 THAAD missiles in defense of Israel. This backdrop of military readiness underscores the increasing geopolitical volatility as airlines adjust operations in response to the ongoing conflict. Trump’s remarks on military action may further influence market dynamics amid the crisis.
Energy Markets Brace For Potential Shockwaves
On Friday, Trump said that U.S. had not made a “final decision” on striking Iran, and he added he was “not happy” with Iran’s stance in nuclear negotiations after talks in Switzerland earlier in the week. On Saturday, he argued Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon,” and he referenced last June’s Operation Midnight Hammer, saying it obliterated three nuclear sites.
Iran’s geography and oil role are also in focus, with the country sitting near the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global crude flows. An Iranian military spokesperson said, “We will teach Israel and America a lesson they have never experienced in their history.”
Image: Shutterstock/Markus Mainka
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