Middle East airspace closure: Is airspace closed in Dubai, Qatar, and Turkey - latest update as more than 2,000 flights cancelled
Tens of thousands of passengers have been stranded around the world due to airspace closures in the Middle East.
As of Monday 2 March, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were among the nations that announced at least partial closures of their skies. This means that Dubai and Qatar's airspace is effectively closed. This has forced widespread flight suspensions, cancellations and diversions.
Turkish airspace itself is not closed and commercial flights can still fly within and through Turkey’s skies. Most airports in Turkey for example, Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, remain open and operating normally, though airlines and route patterns may be adjusted due to the broader regional situation.
Posting on X on Monday, flight tracking website Flightradar24 said that currently more than 2,000 flights to and from seven key airports in the Gulf area have been cancelled. The airports are Dubai International, Hamad International Airport in Doha, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah International Airport, Kuwait International Airport, Bahrain International Airport, and Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International.
Airports in Dubai are closed and all flights suspended due to regional airspace closures. Due to the multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 3 pm local time (12 pm CET) on Tuesday 3 March.
All aircraft movements at Hamad International Airport in Doha have been suspended due to the temporary closure of the Qatari airspace. The country’s flag carrier, Qatar Airways, will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.
The airline said a further update will be provided on Tuesday by 9 am local time (7 am CET). Etihad Airways said that all flights to and from Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi are suspended until 2 pm local time (11 am CET) on Monday 2 March.
Oman Air has said that flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, and Kuwait have been cancelled for 2 March. Other flights are operating as scheduled but delays are to be expected.
Saudia has also cancelled flights to and from Amman, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Moscow and Peshawar until 11:59 pm local time (9:59 pm CET) on 2 March. Low-cost carrier Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman and Saudi Arabia up to and including 7 March.
Turkish Airlines has cancelled flights to and from Bahrain, Dammam and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria and the UAE. Air France has cancelled its scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh until 3 March.
Dutch airline KLM is currently not flying through the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and Israel, nor over several countries in the Gulf region. Flights to, from, or via destinations in the region are cancelled or adjusted.
British Airways is not flying to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until 4 March, while a number of flights to the Middle East have also been cancelled. The airline said if passengers are due to fly between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai or Tel Aviv up to and including 15 March, they can change their flight free of charge to travel on or before 29 March. Customers travelling up to and including 8 March may also request a full refund.
Lufthansa Group airlines – which includes Lufthansa, SWISS International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, and Eurowings – has suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, and Tehran until 8 March. In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines also suspend flights to and from Dubai until 4 March.
Finnair has suspended daily flights to Dubai and Doha until 6 March, while Norwegian is suspending its flights to and from Dubai up until and including 4 March. "We will then assess if it's possible to resume flights," said the budget carrier. Air India has extended the suspension of all flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Qatar until 11:59 pm local time (7:29 pm CET) on 2 March 2026.
Ella Jo Rhodes, a travel expert at UK consumer champion Which?, said: “In light of the ongoing situation in the Middle East, many airlines are taking precautionary steps to amend their schedules, including cancelling flights in the region. Given the extraordinary circumstances, passengers on delayed or cancelled flights will not be entitled to compensation.
“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. 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.”
