Middle East airspace restrictions hit travel: 444 flights expected to be cancelled today

The fallout from the US-Israel strikes on Iran has rippled across global aviation networks, with hundreds of flights cancelled as airspace closures continue across the Middle East.

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The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said on Sunday that domestic carriers were significantly affected by restrictions in Iran and parts of the region.

"Due to airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East, 410 flights of domestic carriers were cancelled on 28 February, and 444 flights are expected to be cancelled on 1 March," it said. 

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The ministry said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was working closely with airlines to maintain safety compliance. "DGCA is maintaining close coordination with airlines to ensure full compliance with safety and operational regulations. Passengers are advised to check and confirm their flight status with the respective airlines before proceeding to the airport."

The MoCA said that major airports remain on operational alert to manage potential diversions and ensure seamless passenger facilitation. "Passenger assistance, airline coordination, and terminal crowd management are being closely monitored, with senior officials deployed on the ground."

The ministry added that its Passenger Assistance Control Room was actively handling complaints. "On 28 February, AirSewa recorded 216 grievances, and 105 grievances were resolved during the same period ensuring necessary support to affected passengers."

The disruption comes due to airspace closures across several countries after America and Israel launched strikes on Iran early Saturday. Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain shut their airspace, while the United Arab Emirates announced "temporary and partial closure."

According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, there was no flight activity over the UAE after the announcement. The closures led to halted operations at major hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha and the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines.

Hundreds of thousands of travellers were stranded or diverted to alternative airports as key routes linking Europe, Africa and the West to Asia were disrupted.