SINGAPORE, 2 March 2026: Following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran, Israel, and the US on 28 February 2026, air travel across the Middle East has been severely disrupted.
As of 1 March 2026, several countries have closed their airspace, either entirely or partially, leading to the indefinite suspension of operations at some of the world’s busiest aviation hubs.
Major Airport & Airspace Closures
Israel: All airports, including Ben Gurion International (TLV), are closed to commercial traffic. The Transportation Ministry has indicated closures will last until at least Tuesday, 3 March.
United Arab Emirates (UAE): Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum International (DWC): Operations have been halted indefinitely. Dubai Airports reported over 700 flight cancellations after the UAE partially closed its airspace as a precaution.
Abu Dhabi International (AUH): Etihad Airways has suspended all departures and arrivals.
Qatar: Hamad International Airport (DOH) operations are suspended following the total closure of Qatari airspace.
Iran: All domestic and international airports are closed to civilian traffic as the country remains on high military alert.
Iraq & Kuwait: Both countries have closed their airspaces entirely, effectively shutting down Baghdad International (BGW) and Kuwait International (KWI).
Oman: Muscat International Airport (MCT) has been temporarily closed, though Omani airspace (Muscat FIR) remains open for overflights.
Syria: Airspace is largely closed, particularly along major transit routes near Damascus.
Airline status summary
Most major regional and international carriers have grounded flights to the region until early to mid-March.
| Airline | Affected Destinations | Current Status |
| Emirates | All Dubai operations | Suspended indefinitely |
| Etihad | All Abu Dhabi operations | Suspended (Reviewing after March 1, 1400) |
| Qatar Airways | All Doha operations | Suspended until further notice |
| Lufthansa / Swiss | Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Tehran | Suspended until March 7 |
| British Airways | Tel Aviv, Bahrain, Amman | Suspended until March 3 |
| Wizz Air / airBaltic | Tel Aviv, Dubai, Abu Dhabi | Suspended until March 7 |
(Source: Airlines and Civil Aviation Authorities).
Impact in Southeast Asia
The escalation in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through Southeast Asian aviation. Because the Middle East serves as the primary “bridge” for flights between Europe and Southeast Asia, the closure of Iranian and Gulf airspaces has triggered immediate cancellations and massive logistical shifts for regional carriers.
Major airline disruptions
As of 1 March 2026, here is how Southeast Asian airlines and routes are being impacted.
Singapore Airlines and Scoot: SIA has suspended all flights to the Middle East. At least six flights have been cancelled so far, including SQ494/495 (Singapore–Dubai) and Scoot flights TR596/597 (Singapore–Jeddah).
Malaysia Airlines: The carrier took immediate action as the strikes began, recalling aircraft mid-flight.
MH160 (Kuala Lumpur–Doha): Forced to turn back and return to KLIA.
MH156 (Kuala Lumpur–Jeddah): Diverted to Chennai, India, before returning to Malaysia.
Thai Airways: The airline reported minimal impact on its European schedule because it does not currently use Iranian or Israeli airspace. However, it has adjusted paths to avoid the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as an extra precaution, adding roughly 20 minutes to some European flights. It continues to fly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but there is a high probability of delays, rerouting, or short-notice cancellation. Thai Airways often has to fly through or near the now-closed airspaces to reach the Kingdom.
Most Asian carriers have issued travel advisories, warning of flight delays to London, Paris, and Frankfurt as they navigate the closed “Middle East corridor.”
Route rerouting
With the “Silk Road” of the skies (the path over Iran and Iraq) closed, airlines are being forced into two primary alternatives:
Northern route: Flying over Central Asia and Turkey. This adds significant time and fuel costs.
Southern route: Flying over the South Asian peninsula and across the Southern Arabian Sea/Africa.
Passengers on flights between Southeast Asia (Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur) and Europe should expect 90 minutes to three hours of additional flight time due to these detours.
Impact on transit passengers
The biggest “hidden” impact for Southeast Asian travellers is the total shutdown of Dubai (DXB), Doha (DOH), and Abu Dhabi (AUH).
Thousands of travellers who use these hubs for connecting flights to Europe or the US are currently stranded in Southeast Asian gateways (like Changi or KLIA) because their connecting carriers (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad) have grounded operations.
Airlines are struggling to find alternative seats on non-Middle Eastern carriers (For example, Turkish Airlines, Thai Airways, or direct flights), leading to a massive spike in last-minute ticket prices.
Flight status summary
| Region/Carrier | Status | Typical Delay |
| Flights to Middle East | Mostly Cancelled | N/A |
| Flights to Europe (via ME) | Rerouted | +1.5 to 3 hours |
| Flights to North America | Minimal Impact | On time (Pacific routes) |
(Source: Airlines, Civil Aviation Authorities, FlightRadar24 and news services — Reuters and AP)
