Massive air travel disruptions continue across Middle East as regional conflict triggers daily flight cancellations

Aviation analysts report 4,000 daily flight cancellations as Middle East airspaces remain closed five days into the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 4, 2026, 10:49 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from L'Orient-Le Jour

Scale of global aviation disruption

The outbreak of hostilities between Iran and a US-Israeli alliance has resulted in one of the most significant disruptions to global aviation in recent history. Data from flight tracking service FlightRadar24 and aviation analytics firm Cirium indicate that an average of 4,000 flights have been cancelled every day since the conflict began on February 28, 2026. The impact has cascaded far beyond the immediate combat zones, affecting major international hubs and leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded in transit countries across the globe.

Regional airspace lockdown status

While a vast majority of countries in the high risk zone have shuttered their skies to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft, a few notable exceptions remain. Lebanon and Oman are currently the only two nations within the immediate conflict perimeter that have not officially closed their airspaces since the start of operations. However, the presence of active military engagements in the surrounding regions has rendered these corridors extremely precarious, with many international carriers opting to reroute long haul flights around the entire Middle East.

Selective openings and military caution

Saudi Arabia has maintained a partial opening of its airspace since the conflict ignited, though traffic is heavily monitored and restricted to specific corridors. In Israel, authorities have indicated a cautious willingness to begin a gradual reopening of their airspace starting next Monday. However, officials have stressed that this timeline is tentative and subject to immediate reversal depending on the intensity of retaliatory strikes and the overall stability of the regional security environment.