Middle East Flight Chaos: 233 Flights Cancelled as Airspace Closes Amid Rising Tensions

DUBAI, UAE, FEBRUARY 28 :— Air travel across the Middle East has plunged into a state of emergency as a massive wave of flight cancellations hits major international hubs, with 233 flights officially grounded as of February 28, 2026.

The disruption, triggered by sudden airspace closures in multiple countries, has left thousands of passengers stranded and is expected to worsen, with tomorrow’s schedules already seeing significant preemptive cuts.

According to the latest aviation data, Israel has seen the most drastic impact with a 37.38% cancellation rate (40 out of 107 scheduled flights), followed by Jordan at 13.33% and Qatar at 10.15%. Major global and regional carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Air India, IndiGo, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, flydubai, SpiceJet, Air India Express, Wizz Air, Oman Air, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, Aegean Airlines, and Royal Jordanian have all been forced to suspend or reroute operations.

The United Arab Emirates reported the highest volume of grounded aircraft with 94 flights cancelled, while Saudi Arabia saw 28 cancellations, Qatar 34, Iran 9, Bahrain 9, and Oman 5, as airlines struggle to navigate the rapidly evolving security restrictions in the region.