Key Highlights
- The three major airlines that operate at those airports - Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad - typically have about 90,000 passengers per day crossing through those hubs and even more travellers headed to destinations in the Middle East, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. MAR 01, 2026 11:37 ISTFlight Status Tracker Today Live: Etihad’s Operations Hit By Regional Airspace Closures MAR 01, 2026 11:28 ISTFlight Status Tracker Today Live: List of Air India Cancelled Flights MAR 01, 2026 11:22 ISTFlight Status Tracker Today Live: Tourists From Karnataka’s Ballari Stranded at Dubai Airport Seek Government Help | WATCH MAR 01, 2026 11:15 ISTFlight Status Tracker Today 1st March Live: How US-Israel Strikes on Iran Unleashed Travel Chaos?Dubai’s international airport, one of the world’s busiest hubs, handling over 1,000 flights daily, reportedly suffered damage during overnight Iranian retaliatory strikes targeting sites across the Arab Gulf.
- Airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait were also affected.
- Key regional gateways, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, were shut after countries across the Middle East closed their airspace in response to the attacks and subsequent retaliation. Live flight-tracking data showed vast stretches of airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel and Bahrain nearly empty, as airlines across Europe and the Middle East rolled out widespread cancellations. Dubai and neighbouring Doha serve as critical east-west aviation hubs, channeling long-haul passenger traffic between Europe and Asia through tightly coordinated connecting networks.
- Any extended closure of these airports would send shockwaves through global aviation, compelling airlines worldwide to reroute flights, suspend services or absorb significant operational disruptions. MAR 01, 2026 11:07 ISTFlight Status Tracker Today Live: Visuals from Mumbai Airport as Passengers Remain Stranded Due to Flight Disruptions MAR 01, 2026 10:57 ISTFlight Status Tracker Today Live: 444 Flights Likely to be Cancelled Today, says Civil Aviation MinistryDue to airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East, 410 flights of domestic carriers were cancelled on 28 February, and 444 flights are expected to be cancelled on 1 March.
- DGCA is maintaining close coordination with airlines to ensure full compliance with safety and operational regulations.
