As of March 1, 2026, the situation in the Middle East has escalated dramatically following the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, amid ongoing US and Israeli airstrikes. In a significant development, Iran has closed its airspace indefinitely, prompting similar actions from Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, and Qatar. This has resulted in thousands of flights being delayed or canceled, marking the most substantial disruption to global air transport since the Covid pandemic. According to aviation analytics company Cirium, of approximately 4,218 flights scheduled to land in the Middle East on Saturday, 966 (22.9 percent) were canceled, with the total rising above 1,800 when including outbound flights. Major airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Air France, British Airways, and Qatar Airways have announced widespread cancellations, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at key transit airports like Dubai International Airport and Doha International Airport.
INTERNATIONAL
Iran Closes Airspace Amid Us-Israel Strikes, Flight Cancellations
69% NEGATIVE
As of March 1, 2026, the Middle East faces unprecedented air travel disruptions due to Iran's airspace closure after Khamenei's death amid US-Israeli strikes, stranding thousands of travelers.
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THthehindu.com
TFPthefrontierpost.com
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