Strikes on Iran disrupt some of the world's busiest airspace

Strikes on Iran over the weekend disrupted some of the world’s busiest airspace, with Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar closing their skies and Dubai International suspending all flights. Flight-tracking video from Flightradar24 showed airplanes clearing out of the region on Saturday morning.

Aviation analytics firm Cirium said about 1,600 of roughly 3,800 scheduled flights to the region had been canceled as of 5:30 p.m. Dubai time Monday; factoring in outbound cancellations, that number neared 3,200 and is likely higher. Around 900,000 seats are scheduled to, from, and within the Middle East daily, and the three major carriers — Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Emirates — said flights would remain temporarily suspended through at least noon Monday.

Dubai International and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International were damaged by apparent missile strikes on Sunday morning, and Cirium noted the three carriers collectively move about 90,000 transiting passengers through their hubs each day, not including those destined for the region.

Iran, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Middle East

iran, dubai, abu dhabi, qatar, kuwait, bahrain, missile strikes, flight cancellations, emirates, flightradar24