Middle East Airspace Closures Disrupt Global Flights After Iran-Israel Conflict

Air travel across the Middle East has been severely disrupted following the Iran-Israel conflict, with airspace shut down in 10 countries and hundreds of thousands of passengers affected worldwide.

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that the airspace of Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Syria has been completely closed. In addition, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Jordan have also suspended flight operations.

Major airports in the UAE, including those in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, were temporarily shut, with authorities announcing closures lasting until the afternoon. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s airspace remains fully operational and safe for all types of flights, according to officials.

Key global transit hubs have been heavily impacted. Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest international hub — sustained reported damage during retaliatory strikes. Airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait were also affected. In addition, Hamad International Airport in Doha faced severe restrictions as much of the surrounding airspace remained closed.

Dubai and Doha serve as critical crossroads for long-haul routes connecting Europe and Asia. With these hubs offline or operating at limited capacity, aircraft and flight crews have been left out of position, triggering delays and cancellations far beyond the region.

Aviation analyst John Strickland noted that the scale of disruption stems from both the high passenger volume and the complexity of tightly coordinated international flight schedules.

Airlines worldwide are now working to reroute services, manage stranded passengers, and restore operations as regional airspace restrictions continue to evolve.