Airlines Delay 13,000 Flights as Iran Strikes Close Airports
More than 13,000 flights were delayed worldwide on the morning of February 28 after the Iran strikes closed airports, and more than 1,700 flights were cancelled. However, major American carriers like Delta and United were not reporting cancellations, although they warned travelers that flights to some foreign cities would be impacted.
The airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel and Bahrain was largely empty, Reuters reported, saying that travel "chaos" had erupted throughout the Middle East. Israel, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan "closed their airspace," according to USA Today.
Delta & United Airlines Issued Alerts About Travel to Some Countries in the Middle East as Flights Were Delayed & Cancelled Around the Globe
According to FlightAware, which tracks cancellations and delays:
- There were 13,975 delayed flights as of 10:20 a.m. on February 28. Of those, 1,236 were delays out of or into the U.S.
- An additional 1,704 flights were cancelled, but only 64 of those were in the U.S.
- Middle Eastern airlines were most impacted. For example, Gulf Air cancelled 70% of its flights; FlyDubai cancelled 64%; Emirates cancelled 57%; and Pakistan International Airlines cancelled 42%. Airports in Dubai and Bahrain reported a large number of cancellations as Dubai closed its airports altogether. Etihad Airlines wrote, "At the moment, all our flights have been cancelled until 2pm on 01 March UAE local time."
- Delta wrote, "Due to the security situation, travel to/from/through the Tel Aviv area may be impacted." United warned that travel to Doha could be affected.
- Airlines cancelled about 40% of all flights to Israel, according to Reuters.
Major American airlines were not reporting cancellations. Delta and United, for example, had cancelled 0% of their flights, according to FlightAware.
Video emerged of a drone strike at Kuwait's airport.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 28, 2026
New video shows the Iranian drone strike on Kuwait International Airport pic.twitter.com/eFvMQiSbXa
The strikes "disrupted flights across the region and beyond on Saturday, leaving millions of air travellers across the region affected," Euro News reported. "The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel closed their airspace, and Qatar Airways Group cancelled flights to and from Doha."
The Dubai Airports Suspended 'All Flight Operations'
Amid the massive U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran, the airports in Dubai announced they were suspending all flights.
"Dubai Airports confirms that all flight operations at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) are suspended until further notice," the airport wrote on its website.
"Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport at this time and to contact their respective airlines directly for the latest updates regarding their flights."
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
We appreciate the cooperation of our guests. Further updates will be provided as we continue to monitor the situation.
According to Euro News, "German airline Lufthansa cancelled its flights until 7 March to several Middle East destinations, including Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil and Tehran."
In Italy, ITA Airways "suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, avoiding Israeli, Lebanese, Jordanian, Iraqi and Iranian airspace until 7 March."
Added Euro News, "Air France cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut scheduled for 28 February, while Polish Airlines LOT also suspended its Tel Aviv services in response to the situation."