Flights remain severely disrupted in the Middle East, with more than 12,000 canceled across the region since the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28.
The air strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on Gulf nations have created a vast no-go zone for commercial aviation — including Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria and parts of the Gulf — stranding thousands of travelers and disrupting a vital air corridor between Europe, Asia and Australia.
Hubs in the region that have been affected include Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest international airport — Zayed International Airport in the UAE and Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar.
America’s big-three carriers — United, American and Delta — have all canceled services to the region, along with other major airlines, including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, British Airways, Air France and Lufthansa.
Forty-nine flights are scheduled to depart from the U.S. to the Middle East Wednesday, equating to 16,254 seats, according to aviation data firm Cirium.
However, the only scheduled flight to Bahrain is canceled, along with all 11 flights to Israel, 10 of the 15 services to Qatar, and 14 of the 19 scheduled flights to the United Arab Emirates.
These are the key questions and answers for American travelers.
How widespread is the disruption?
The conflict has triggered the largest aviation crisis in the Middle East since the pandemic. Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar remains virtually empty, according to a March 4 map from flight-tracking service Flightradar24.
American Airlines has temporarily suspended its direct flights between Doha and Philadelphia. It said: “We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and make any additional adjustments as needed.
“To provide additional flexibility for customers, we have issued travel alerts allowing those with affected travel to change their plans without a fee.”
United Airlines has canceled flights departing the U.S. to Tel Aviv and Dubai through March 11, as well as their corresponding returns.
The airline said: “United has issued a travel waiver so customers with travel in the affected region can change their plans without cost. Customers can find continuous updates about travel to the Middle East at United.com/MiddleEastAirspace.”
Delta Air Lines has canceled flights from New York-JFK to Tel Aviv through March 22 and from Tel Aviv to JFK through March 23.
Are flights starting to resume?
There has been a limited recovery, with a few dozen flights departing Dubai.
As of Wednesday, Emirates has suspended all scheduled flights to and from Dubai, but is operating some repatriation and freighter services.
Etihad has suspended operations in and out of its Abu Dhabi hub until at least Thursday.
Qatar Airways’ scheduled flight operations remain suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Dubai operated 83 flights, Abu Dhabi 10 and Qatar zero.
What is the advice from the U.S. Government?
The U.S. State Department has told Americans to “depart now” from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen using “available commercial travel.”
While options are extremely limited, charter flights are being sent to evacuate Americans from the UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. In a video message, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that a 24/7 task force had been activated to “provide American citizens with up-to-the-minute safety and security information.”
He added: “All Americans located abroad, particularly those in the Middle East, should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive the latest messages and updates from your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
“U.S. citizens overseas are also encouraged to follow our ‘Security Updates for U.S. Citizens’ channel on WhatsApp and to follow @TravelGov on social media. The latest alerts can be found at travel.state.gov as well. mericans in the Middle East may contact the Department of State 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-202-501-4444.”
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said that since February 28, over 17,500 American citizens have returned to the United States from the Middle East — with over 8,500 American citizens returning to the U.S. on Tuesday.
However, Americans have been expressing frustration at a perceived lack of government support.
One American stuck in Bahrain told CNN: “The Department of State tells me to evacuate, but there’s no way to do so. I cannot believe there is no support for US Citizens stranded when the US started this conflict.”
Which specific areas has Iran been targeting?
According to U.S. Central Command, the Iranian Regime has been “actively targeting civilians in more than a dozen locations.”
This has included Dubai International Airport; Kuwait International Airport; Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi; Erbil International Airport, Iraq; Fairmont Palm Hotel, Dubai; Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai; Crowne Plaza Hotel, Bahrain; and the Port of Dubai.
What are passengers’ rights?
If your flight departs from the U.S. and the carrier cancels it, or there is a significant delay, you are entitled to a full refund if you choose not to rebook but not compensation.
If you do decide to rearrange the trip, you can do so at no additional charge.
If there is a delay and it’s within the airline’s control - a staffing issue, for example - the airline might provide meal vouchers, hotel accommodation and ground transport, but it is not compelled to do so by law, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
If the disruption is outside the airline’s control, as would be the case with the current conflict, you are entitled to a refund or rebooking, but the airline is not required to pay for hotels or meals. If it does so, it would be a gesture of goodwill.
If you are flying on a non-American airline departing from the Middle East, your rights depend on the carrier’s own conditions of carriage.
Gulf carriers tend to rebook passengers and provide food and accommodation in the event of delays.
Is there wider disruption?
Yes. Many flights that would normally use Iranian or Iraqi airspace are taking wide diversions, adding to journey times.
There will also be knock-on delays as a result, and some flights may need to make refueling stops because of the longer routes. All of this adds up to continuing disruption.
When airspace reopens, how quickly will things be back to normal?
Even when flights resume, there is likely to be widespread disruption due to aircraft and crew being out of position.
Airlines, including Emirates and Qatar Airways, are working at full stretch, so even when the schedule is back on track, it could be days, and possibly weeks, before some stranded passengers reach their destinations.
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