Middle East War Grounds Flights, Strands Thousands in Chaos

By Ifeyinwa Ike

The US-Israel conflict with Iran has crippled Middle East air travel, triggering mass flight cancellations and stranding tens of thousands as missiles and drones force airspace closures across the region.

Desperate passengers face absolute chaos, splashing cash on last-minute private jets, overland dashes to safer hubs, or fighter-escorted commercial flights for emergency evacuations. France’s Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot highlighted repatriation headaches amid the instability.

Britain’s first repatriation flight from Oman touched down at London Stansted Friday after delays, with Europe scrambling similar ops. The EU Aviation Safety Agency extended no-fly warnings over the region until March 11.

Gulf giants are reeling: Emirates eyes full network restoration soon but runs reduced schedules to 82 spots like Sydney and New York; Etihad limits to 70 cities including London and Delhi till March 19; Doha’s hub stays shuttered.

Dubai’s DXB, the world’s busiest international airport, buzzed at just 25% capacity despite a traffic spike. Flydubai plans UAE-Israel resumption next week.

Jet fuel smashed records at $225/barrel in Singapore, fueled by oil spikes and refinery fears, Fitch warns airlines face revenue hits plus fuel squeezes. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr: “Air traffic remains brutally vulnerable