The ongoing war in Iran is creating major financial and logistical challenges for the global aviation industry, with more than 23,000 flights to Middle East hubs canceled since the conflict began.

Over half of the 36,000 flights scheduled to or from the region since February 28 have been called off, affecting roughly 4.4 million seats.

Thousands of passengers remain stranded across the Gulf, with many forced to take longer and more expensive routes to reach operational airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Several airlines have announced changes to their regional flight schedules.

Air India is adding extra services to meet growing demand. Between March 5 and 11, it will operate three additional flights between Delhi and Toronto. From March 7 to 10, the airline will add three flights between Delhi and Frankfurt, along with one extra Delhi–Paris service.

On March 5, Air India will also operate flights from Delhi and Mumbai via Jeddah. The airline said it is evaluating the possibility of adding more flights beyond March 11 to accommodate high demand and cover routes affected by canceled Middle East carrier services.

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline extended the suspension of flights to and from Dubai through March 7. Emirates has canceled over 2,000 flights since Saturday, marking one of the most severe disruptions in the airline’s history, known for its 24/7 operations and reliability. While the carrier has resumed limited flights to evacuate people from Dubai, regular commercial services remain suspended.

Qatar Airways extended its service halts into Friday. The United Arab Emirates is setting up secure air corridors to accommodate up to 48 flights per hour, the economy ministry announced.

Oman Air has canceled flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad, and Khasab through March 6, according to a post on its X account. The airline also advised passengers traveling to Muscat to arrive at the airport at least 12 hours before departure due to expected congestion.

All Lufthansa Group airlines have suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Jordan, Erbil, Iraq, and Tehran until March 8. The group will also avoid flying over the airspace of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam (Saudi Arabia), and Iran until the same date.

Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News