Hundreds more flights were canceled Monday, March 2, 2026, as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran continued to wreak havoc on global air travel, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded worldwide.
Major airports across the Middle East remained closed for a third consecutive day, including Dubai, the world’s busiest international hub. According to The Guardian, the shutdown marks “the most acute aviation shock since the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed the industry.”
Thousands of Flights Canceled
Early Monday, 1,239 flights had already been canceled, The Guardian reported, adding to nearly 2,800 cancellations on Saturday and 3,156 on Sunday, according to the flight tracking platform FlightAware.
Among the airlines most severely affected:
- Emirates Airlines, based in Dubai, suspended all scheduled services to and from Dubai until 3 p.m. UAE time Monday.
- Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, halted all flights to and from Abu Dhabi until 2 p.m. UAE time.
- Qatar Airways, suspended operations due to the closure of Qatari airspace.
The Guardian noted that airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar was “virtually empty” as of Monday, citing flight tracking data.
Other carriers have also scaled back operations. Air India canceled Sunday departures from Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to major cities in Europe and North America.
“For travellers, there’s no way to sugarcoat this,” airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, told The Guardian. “You should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end.”
Disruptions at Athens International Airport
According to Greece’s state broadcaster ERT, more than 45 flights to and from the Middle East have been canceled since Sunday at Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos.” The situation is expected to remain unchanged at least through March 4-5, based on airline announcements, with the possibility of extensions depending on developments.
Greece’s largest carrier, Aegean Airlines, announced a full suspension of services to several destinations in the region. All flights to and from the following cities have been canceled through the early hours of March 4:
- Tel Aviv
- Erbil (northern Iraq)
- Baghdad
- Beirut
- Dubai
- Abu Dhabi
- Riyadh
- Jeddah
Passengers are advised to check directly with airlines for updates.
Airline Stocks Slide
The disruption has also rattled financial markets. As The Guardian reported, “leading airline stocks came under pressure after days of disruption,” with investors weighing the impact of the conflict.
President Donald Trump indicated that U.S. military action could last up to four more weeks, further fueling uncertainty in global aviation and energy markets.
While airlines operating in the region have grown accustomed to intermittent disruptions in recent years, The Guardian reported that analysts described the prolonged closure of major Gulf transit hubs as unprecedented outside of the pandemic period.
source: theguardian.com, tovima.gr
