Ripple effect of Middle East conflict continues to spread

The impact on foreign nationals continues, with flights by airlines cancelled due to temporary closures of airspace, and the potential risk of injury through collateral damage.

A drone attack injured four people near Dubai airport on Wednesday 11 March, although the airport is reportedly continuing to operate as normal – or as normal as can be expected in the given circumstances.

Authorities said in a statement that “two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) a short while ago, resulting in minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national. Air traffic is operating as normal.”

Airspace closures across the Middle East

Meanwhile, Bahrain International Airport confirmed that all flight operations were suspended, with services to resume only once the kingdom’s Civil Aviation Affairs is able to declare the airspace safe to reopen. The shutdown is part of a series of closures that covers much of the Middle East. With the Iran/US conflict now entering a second week with no clear timeline for resolution, the impact of temporary airspace closures is becoming more serious.

British Airways announced it had cancelled all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv for the remainder of March, and suspended its Abu Dhabi route until later this year, citing persistent airspace instability.

As of 10 March, airspace closures are now confirmed across Middle Eastern nations. Under total closure are Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq, while Iran’s airspace was officially shut, with limited exceptions granted by its civil aviation authority. Israel required prior permission for any civilian flight.

Emergency security control protocols were activated in Qatar, meaning just a few authorised departures, with 16 Qatar Airways flights leaving Doha on 10 March. Saudi Arabia maintained a partial closure affecting the areas bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf, while the United Arab Emirates allowed up to 48 aircraft movements per hour, far below normal capacity and only through certain corridors. Many flights were escorted by fighter jets until they were outside of UAE airspace.

Airspace over Jordan remained open, but airlines were advised by authorities to carry additional fuel in case of potential delays.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) extended its Conflict Zone Information Bulletin through to today, 11 March, advising all operators to avoid the airspace of Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia due to the risks from missiles, air defence systems, and interception activity.

France, Germany, and the UK issued their own parallel directives prohibiting or strongly discouraging their carriers from entering the affected zones.