How the Aviation Industry is Navigating the Middle Eastern Conflict

2 hours ago
3 min read

Published: 2 April 2026

Written by: Shashwat Dwivedi

The Iran–U.S. conflict has severely disrupted Middle Eastern aviation, forcing mass flight cancellations, aircraft relocations, and major operational changes across global airlines.

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Air travel is deemed the safest mode of transport, but it is also one of the first things to be affected during times of geopolitical conflict. Airspace closures, missile threats, airport shutdowns, and disruptions to fuel supplies force airlines to take rapid, often costly actions to safeguard passengers, crews, and aircraft.

The conflict in the Middle East between the United States and Iran that began in March, has proven to be one of the most disruptive aviation crises in decades, airlines are now resorting to the old playbook to survive this war, a playbook written after experience of past conflicts, but on a much larger scale.

Airports like the Dubai International Airport, which have served as the conduit and a popular hub for connecting flights between Europe, Asia and Africa, are now severely affected due to the war hitting them directly. Before the war the airport was used to having around 1200 flights moving through it on a normal day, but with the UAE dragged in the conflict, the airport saw attacks which resulted in many cancellations. It is reported that more than 52,000 flights have been cancelled in the Middle East since the start of the conflict.

Teruel airport in Spain has functioned as a quiet aircraft storage facility, with little to no commercial flights running from its runway, but with the war situation, it has seen a large influx in traffic. Qatar Airways have dominated among the new arrivals, Carriers using the hubs in the region quickly had to reassess their capacity needs. More than 25 aircraft have arrived since 16th March to 26th March with no plans of departure as of now, 22 out of the 25 aircraft belong to Qatar Airways.

Even though a few operators such as Emirates and Qatar have gradually ramped up operations since, airlines still find themselves in the unfortunate situation of having more aircraft at hand than they can utilize.

Last year saw something similar happen, during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, with dozens of long‑haul flights being diverted mid‑journey, with Iran and Iraq closing their skies entirely. Middle Eastern airports have closed or sustained damage, requiring evacuations and grounding of flights. Dubai International Airport was evacuated following Iranian retaliatory strikes.

During the previous conflict, El Al and Israir evacuated their entire fleets from Tel Aviv, relocating aircraft abroad. Going back further, Kuwait Airways and other regional airlines similarly evacuated aircraft to foreign countries to avoid damage or seizure.

Airlines such as Air Canada, Air France-KLM, Finnair, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Aegean, and others suspended flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Riyadh, Baghdad, and Amman for weeks or months.

The Iran conflict has had a terrible effect due to the strait of Hormuz being contested, restricting the free flow of aviation fuel from oil exporting countries shooting up fuel prices. This affects where aircraft can viably be repositioned.

The conflict has exposed how uncertain flight operations can become in times of war. aviation hubs like Dubai, which used to process so many flights, have seen operations drop to zero at times. Fuel uncertainty and airspace fragmentation will likely drive-up ticket prices globally. Airlines may redesign fleet strategies to prioritize flexibility, range, and resilience.

Key Points

Over 52,000 flights cancelled in the Middle East, with major hubs like Dubai International repeatedly shut down or attacked.
Airlines are storing excess aircraft in places like Teruel, Spain, with Qatar Airways relocating over 22 jets.
Fuel shortages, airspace closures, and missile threats are driving higher global ticket prices and forcing airlines to rethink fleet and routing strategies.