Air travel to and from the Middle East remained in deep crisis on March 28, with 160 flight cancellations and 320 delays recorded in a single day, a total of 480 disruptions affecting roughly 35-40% of regional aviation operations, according to Travel and Tour World. Over 52,000 flights have been cancelled in the region since the conflict began on Feb. 28.
Bahrain International Airport was the worst-hit individual airport, reporting 91 cancellations. Kuwait International Airport remained closed to all commercial flights. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest international airport by passenger volume, was operating at severely reduced capacity, handling roughly 200-210 flights compared to a normal daily schedule of over 1,200, Travel and Tour World reported. Emirates, Saudia, Gulf Air, KLM and Lufthansa Group were among the worst-hit carriers.
Air India added 36 additional weekly frequencies to Europe and North America during the period March 19-28 to absorb displaced demand, representing over 10,000 incremental seats, according to Aviation Week Network. Major carriers including Lufthansa Group have extended suspensions of flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman and Beirut.
Travelers are advised to check directly with carriers before heading to any airports in the region. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has advised all operators to avoid the airspace of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, the UAE and Oman.
