Thousands of holidaymakers have been left stranded after major airlines including British Airways, Emirates, and Qatar Airways have cancelled flights following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Holidaymakers have been left stranded and families thrown into turmoil as the escalating Iran conflict has sparked travel chaos across multiple routes and airlines.
Major airlines have cancelled or diverted flights at short notice after vast swathes of Middle Eastern airspace were shut down, which has triggered delays and last-minute turnarounds and schedule changes.
With safety fears mounting, passengers now face uncertainty over whether they’ll make it home or reach their holiday destinations. Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi typically handle around 90,000 transit passengers per day between them, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium, meaning the knock-on impact for global travel is enormous.
READ MORE: Iran US LIVE: Two ballistic missiles capable of ‘significant damage’ fired towards CyprusREAD MORE: Dubai airport LIVE: Horror scenes after second ‘attack’ as smoke rises from city
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More than 3,400 flights were cancelled on Sunday alone across seven major Middle Eastern airports, according to flight tracker Flightradar24, after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory attacks across the Gulf.
The chaos has already spread beyond the region, with more than 1,600 tourists stranded in Bali after multiple Middle East-bound flights were cancelled or postponed, AP reported.
Airspace across Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE has also been fully or partially closed, which has brought one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors to a standstill, meaning travellers have been impacted worldwide.
Multiple airports have warned passengers to expect disruption, and major carriers have taken immediate safety measures.
- British Airways has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain up to and including March 3, and scrapped services to Amman, with further schedule adjustments affecting some Gulf routes including Doha and Dubai. A Heathrow to Doha service was also forced to turn back mid-air amid the escalating situation.
- Emirates has suspended flights to and from Dubai following the temporary closure of UAE airspace, and flydubai has also halted operations.
- Etihad Airways has paused services to and from Abu Dhabi as restrictions remain in place.
- Qatar Airways has temporarily halted flights due to Qatari airspace closing, warning delays are expected once services resume.
- American Airlines has paused its Doha to Philadelphia route.
- Virgin Atlantic cancelled Heathrow services to Dubai and Riyadh.
- Wizz Air suspended flights between London Luton and Tel Aviv until March 7, as well as certain services to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman, until at least March 7.
- Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways) has suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, and Tehran until at least March 7, and paused several Gulf routes including Dubai and Riyadh.
- Air France has cancelled services to Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut and Tel Aviv.
- KLM has scrapped flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv.
- Finnair has suspended its daily services to Dubai and Doha until March 6.
- Norwegian has paused its Dubai routes until March 4.
- Delta Air Lines has suspended its New York to Tel Aviv service.
- Air Canada has cancelled flights to Israel until March 8 and to Dubai until March 3.
- Turkish Airlines has halted flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan.
- Middle East Airlines has cancelled multiple Beirut connections to Gulf destinations including Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.
- Air India has cancelled several long-haul services to Europe and the UK, including routes from Delhi and Mumbai to London, Birmingham, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt.
- IndiGo and Air India Express have also extended suspensions of international services that rely on Gulf airspace.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues. The Associated Press reported that Dubai International Airport confirmed four people were injured following strikes, while one person was killed and seven others wounded in a drone strike at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport, with multiple people injured.
On Saturday, two ballistic missiles were fired in the direction of Cyprus. UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the missiles were not believed to have been “targeted” at Cyprus, but warned Iran’s attacks were becoming “increasingly indiscriminate, widespread and uncontrolled.”
Travel expert Simon Calder told the Mirror it is difficult to predict when travel services will fully resume, though some airlines have suggested limited resumptions could begin from Sunday afternoon if safety assurances are received.
“At the moment though, if I had a flight booked back from Doha then, my goodness me, my absolute sympathy with anybody who is stuck in a war zone with missiles coming in,” he said. “It is unbelievable and I am so, so sorry it is happening, but I would think March 5 is not a bad day to have planned your escape.”
Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt warned travellers should prepare for disruption lasting several days. For comparison, a previous US-Israeli strike on Iran in 2025 lasted 12 days.
“To be honest, if you haven’t left home, chances are you won’t be leaving home if you’re supposed to travel to or through these destinations for at least several days, if not longer,” he told AP. “And if you are returning home, you will have to be very creative about how you get home.”
Former US air traffic chief Mike McCormick suggested parts of the region’s airspace could reopen within 24 to 36 hours depending on how the military situation evolves. But he stressed that the outlook remains uncertain.
Jo Rhodes, a travel expert at the consumer group Which?, warned passengers they will not be entitled to compensation for cancellations caused by the conflict due to the “extraordinary circumstances.”
“However, if you are flying with a UK or EU airline, or are departing a UK or EU airport with any carrier, your airline should provide assistance during your delay,” Rhodes said. “Depending on the length of your delay, assistance may include food and drink and, where necessary, overnight accommodation. If your journey is cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund.”
The Foreign Office has urged British nationals in affected countries to “immediately shelter in place” and avoid all travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Britons in Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait have also been advised to remain indoors and follow local authority instructions.
Have you been affected by the flights chaos or are you living in an area hit by the conflict? Contact us at webnews@mirror.co.uk
