Tens Of Thousands Of People Are Trapped In The UAE After Their Flights Were Disrupted By The War

Tens of thousands of passengers have been stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for days after flights across the Gulf were disrupted by the US and Israel’s war on Iran.

After the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, several countries across the region closed or restricted their airspace due to missile and drone activity, forcing airlines to cancel or reroute thousands of flights.

The disruption affected major air corridors across Iran, Iraq and parts of the Gulf, complicating routes used by airlines traveling between Europe, Asia and Africa.

Airports in the UAE — including Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest transit hubs — quickly filled with passengers unable to continue their journeys.

Data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium shows the UAE’s airlines — Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways — carry a combined 90,000 transit passengers a day, according to Business Insider.

This does not include the thousands of travelers whose final destination is the Middle East.

The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority said in a X post on Sunday, March 1, that approximately 20,200 passengers were affected and had received temporary accommodations and rebooking services.

More than 37,000 flights to and from the Middle East have been canceled since Feb. 28, according to Reuters. 

Many travelers reported repeated flight cancellations, long queues and uncertainty as airlines scrambled to reroute flights and adjust schedules.

On the afternoon of Monday, March 2, the Dubai Airports website announced that a limited number of flights were expected to depart later that evening.

However, with flights operating at limited capacity, many people have remained stranded across the UAE for nearly a week as airlines struggled to resume normal operations.

The conflict has also pushed oil prices above US$100 a barrel, raising airline fuel costs and sending airfares surging worldwide.

More On US-Israel War On Iran

Israel Has Bombed Dozens Of Oil Facilities In Iran, Triggering A Huge Fire In The Capital Tehran

Iran’s military warned that if attacks on its oil infrastructure continue, it may respond with similar strikes across the region.

AlmostKassy Cho

Trump Has Tried To Downplay The US’ Role In Bombing The Girls’ School In Iran Despite Evidence

“Whether it’s Iran — who also has some Tomahawks, they wish they had more — or somebody else, the fact is a Tomahawk is very generic.”

AlmostFlavie Chen

Iran’s President Has Personally Apologized To Neighboring Countries For Bombing Them, Saying It’ll Stop

“From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries.”

AlmostKassy Cho