Over 6 million travelers affected by Middle East flight cancellations

2026-03-16 - 05:16

More than six million passengers have been affected by widespread flight cancellations to and from the Middle East since the outbreak of war roughly two weeks ago. The ongoing military confrontation between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other has significantly disrupted regional air travel, according to estimates by aviation data firm Cirium which cited a report by Euronews. The exchange of attacks prompted several countries across the Middle East to temporarily close their airspace as a precautionary measure, reports Al-Qabas daily. The closures triggered widespread disruption across the global aviation network, leaving thousands of travelers stranded at airports — particularly across Asia — after flights were cancelled or diverted to alternative destinations. According to Cirium, more than 52,000 flights have been cancelled since the start of the attacks on Iran on February 28, out of approximately 98,000 flights that had been scheduled during the same period. Based on an estimated 80 percent seat occupancy rate and an average aircraft capacity of 242 seats, the company calculated that over six million passengers have been directly affected by the cancellations so far.