The air campaign carried out by Washington and Tel Aviv on February 28 triggered immediate military retaliation from Tehran, with an equally immediate consequence: much of the Middle East’s airspace effectively shut down.

At least eight countries simultaneously closed their skies, while three major international aviation hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha were forced to suspend operations, sending tremors through global supply chains and airline schedules.

According to international media reports, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) closed their airspace as the conflict escalated.

Syria also sealed off part of its southern skies. The moves came shortly after US President Donald Trump declared that the strikes were aimed at crippling Iran’s missile and naval capabilities, while Tehran warned that all US and Israeli facilities in the Middle East would be considered “legitimate targets”.

Three global crossroads fall silent

For more than two decades, the Middle East has functioned as a vital aerial bridge between Europe and Asia, especially after Russian and Ukrainian airspace became restricted by war.

Airports such as Dubai International Airport and Hamad International Airport have grown into some of the world’s busiest transit hubs.

According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, the three flagship carriers - Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways - connect roughly 90,000 transit passengers per day, excluding direct arrivals and departures within the Middle East.

When these hubs halted operations, the domino effect was immediate and global. Thousands of passengers were stranded or forced to reroute through Athens, Istanbul, Rome, Jeddah or Cairo.

Flight tracking service FlightAware reported more than 2,300 flight cancellations worldwide within 24 hours, along with over 18,000 delays.

In the Middle East alone, approximately 24 percent of scheduled flights on February 28 were canceled. Nearly half of flights to Qatar and Israel were scrapped, while Kuwait recorded a cancellation rate of about 28 percent.

Ticket prices may surge as costs climb

The list of airlines suspending routes continues to grow: Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Japan Airlines, Air India, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic have all announced cancellations or temporary route suspensions.

US carriers United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have paused services to Tel Aviv at least through the end of next week.

Some airlines are allowing passengers to change tickets free of charge, but this has done little to ease the congestion and confusion at airports.

Several aircraft already airborne were forced to turn back mid-flight. One service from Philadelphia reportedly flew nearly to Spain before returning to its departure point after close to 15 hours in the air.

Beyond the immediate disruption to travelers, analysts warn of longer-term financial consequences. As airlines avoid conflict zones, many Europe-Asia routes must detour via Saudi Arabia or even farther south, adding hours of flight time, increasing fuel burn and driving up operating costs.

“If the conflict drags on, international airfares could rise rapidly,” one aviation industry expert noted. Air cargo operations are also under pressure, particularly for businesses reliant on just-in-time supply chains routed through Middle Eastern hubs.

Another less discussed factor is overflight fees. Countries that close their airspace stand to lose significant revenue from these charges, which have provided steady income for years.

Risk of parallel fronts

Regional correspondents observe that the strikes and counterstrikes have effectively opened two parallel fronts: one between the US-Israel alliance and Iran, and another extending into Gulf nations hosting US military bases. This further complicates the aviation security environment.

Several major airports in the UAE are reported to have suffered minor damage in retaliatory strikes. Although information remains fluid, even the perception of risk is sufficient for airlines to adopt an “absolute safety first” approach, suspending operations entirely.

The pressing question now is how long the disruption will last. Historical precedent offers limited reassurance. The previous Israel-US strike on Iran in June 2025 lasted 12 days. This time, however, both the scale and intensity of retaliation are seen as more unpredictable.

Observers suggest that within the next 24 to 36 hours, certain segments of airspace may partially reopen once military activity zones are clearly defined.

Yet even if tensions ease, restoring global flight schedules will not happen overnight. Aircraft and crews are now scattered across continents; maintenance cycles, landing slots and connecting itineraries all require recalculation.

For investors, the episode could become one of 2026’s “black swan” events. Shares of several airlines fell sharply in late-week trading, with United Airlines (UAL) dropping 8.70 percent and Delta Air Lines (DAL) losing 6.82 percent.

Should oil prices climb further alongside the Middle East conflict, an industry already highly sensitive to fuel costs would face a double burden.

Tu Huy