Middle East Airspace Closures: Latest Updates for Travelers

"Airspace across many parts of the Middle East was closed as the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday morning, resulting in several counter attacks on US airbases across parts of the GCC. Flights have been grounded across much of the region, with international airlines rerouting, suspending services, and avoiding key airspace corridors as security risks escalate."

"Several airspaces are currently closed, meaning flights across the region have been grounded, suspended, and rerouted. These changes have resulted in longer flight times due to airlines avoiding closed airspace across the Middle East, technical fuel stops as flight times become longer due to rerouting, and select route suspensions, particularly by European and North American carriers."

"As of Saturday, 28 February, the status of airspace across the region is mixed: Iran airspace is closed with most Western airlines avoiding it entirely, Iraq airspace is closed with airlines suspending scheduling, Israel airspace is closed with airlines worldwide suspending services, and UAE airspace is temporarily closed with all major UAE airlines grounding flights and international airlines suspending routes."

Following US and Israel military operations against Iran on Saturday, 28 February 2026, widespread airspace closures across the Middle East have severely disrupted aviation. Multiple countries including Iran, Iraq, Israel, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain have closed or temporarily suspended airspace. Airlines face longer flight times due to rerouting around closed corridors, requiring technical fuel stops and schedule adjustments. International carriers from Europe and North America have suspended services to affected regions. UAE airspace closure has grounded all major UAE airlines and suspended international routes. The mixed status of regional airspace continues to evolve as security risks escalate throughout the region.

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