Airline cancellations continue around the world after Middle East conflict escalation

US President Donald Trump said that “major combat operations” had taken place in Iran, where it has been confirmed by the BBC that the Supreme Leader’s compound was hit in a combined US/Israel attack on the regime. The Israel Defense Forces, writing on the Telegram app, said that its jets “completed an extensive attack against the missile array and the defense systems of the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran”. It was confirmed hours later that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his extended family had been killed in the attack on his compound.

In response, apparent Iranian attacks have been reported in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait. Videos on social media appear to show an explosion in the lobby of the Fairmont The Palm hotel on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, although it is unclear whether or not the damage was as a result of a missile interception or a missile itself. Authorities in the Emirate have reported that four people were injured in the explosion; the hotel said they had been taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. There has not yet been any confirmation as to the nationalities of the injured.

Passengers at Dubai International Airport were forced to flee falling wreckage, after the inner concourse of a terminal was targeted leaving four people injured; while in Abu Dhabi one person was killed and seven people were injured after a drone strike hit Zayed International Airport.

In Doha, Qatar, missiles targeted the US Al Udeid Air Base – said to be the largest in the region. Elsewhere, a US Navy base was the target of an attack in Bahrain.

Kuna, the news agency in Kuwait, reported that a drone had targeted the international airport. This resulted in what were reported as minor injuries to employees, and limited damage to the airport itself.

In Jordan, Minister of Government Communication and Official Spokesperson Mohammad Momani has reported that armed forces short down two ballistic missiles.

Jeremy Bowen, International Editor for the BBC, wrote on the organisation’s website: “The decision by the US and Israel to plunge into a new war with Iran creates a highly dangerous moment with unpredictable consequences.”

Flight cancellations continue for a third day

Flight tracker website FlightAware said that almost 2,800 flights were cancelled on Saturday, and 3,156 cancelled on Sunday. On the morning of 2 March, airlines were continuing to cancel flights across the Middle East.

Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and President of Atmosphere Research Group, warned travellers: “You should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end.”

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air have all confirmed that they are minimising the number of flights to destinations across the Middle East.

Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to and from Doha due to closure of local airspace.

Emirates is following suit with a temporary suspension of flights in and out of Dubai.

Air India issued a statement: “Close monitoring and careful assessment of the evolving situation in the Middle East have necessitated further curtailment of our scheduled operations, with the safety and security of our customers and crew remaining our highest priority.”

Turkish Airlines said that for tickets that were issued on or before 28 February, passengers to these destinations have until 10 May to change their reservation free of charge, request a refund, or request a partial refund for a trip that has not been completed.

Airspace over Iran, Israel, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Syria remained closed on Sunday, with partial closures in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Ian Petchenik, Communications Director at Flightradar24, was quoted in The Guardian newspaper as saying: “The risk of protracted disruption is the main concern from a commercial aviation perspective.”

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued a statement urging British nationals in Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE to shelter in place. 

Medical and aviation operations adversely affected by the strikes

EURAMI – the European Aero-Medical Institute – issued the following advice to its members and the whole community of air medical transfer professionals, in which it encouraged members to share confirmed operational information that may assist the wider community in maintaining safe and effective aeromedical operations:

“Given the fluid security and aviation environment, EURAMI strongly advises members to exercise heightened operational caution before launching any aeromedical missions into or through the affected region.

Before mission activation:

• Conduct comprehensive and real-time NOTAM reviews for all departure, destination, alternate, and overflight airspace.
• Verify FIR status and routing feasibility, including potential rerouting constraints.
• Maintain close coordination with aviation authorities, flight operations centers, and handling agents.
• Closely monitor airspace closures, missile and drone activity zones, and rapid regulatory changes.
• Confirm airport operational status immediately prior to dispatch.
• Implement enhanced real-time monitoring throughout the mission, recognising that conditions may deteriorate or airspace may close while airborne.

Medical and ground considerations:

• Be aware that the conflict may directly impact hospital functionality, staffing levels, infrastructure stability, and medical supply chains.
• Ground transportation may be disrupted or unsafe in countries experiencing active hostilities.
• Ensure robust contingency planning for patient transfer, crew safety, secure ground handling, fuel and potential diversion scenarios.
• Reassess insurance, security risk exposure, and crew duty time implications due to rerouting.

EURAMI is carefully monitoring the situation across the region. Given the pace of developments, members should expect conditions to evolve rapidly.”