Passengers are stranded in airports across the world amid ongoing air strikes in the Middle East.
Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images
Airports across the Middle East have suspended all flight operations until further notice, leaving many stranded.
The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, with Iran launching retaliatory strikes across the region.
One Emirates passenger told Business Insider he was stuck on a plane for five hours without food before everyone was deplaned.
Travelers are in limbo as airport departure boards flip to red after air strikes in Iran resulted in closed airspace and triggered mass flight cancellations.
The heart of the chaos is in the Middle East, where airports in Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi serve as megahubs for global connecting traffic. As of Sunday, all flights in and out of Dubai International Airport — the world's busiest airport for international travelers — remain suspended until further notice. Passengers are being advised not to travel to the airport.
Data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium shows their home airlines — Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways — carry a combined 90,000 transit passengers a day.
That figure does not include the thousands of travelers whose final destination is the Middle East.
The three major Middle Eastern airlines shared status updates on X on Sunday:
Emirates: all flights in and out of Dubai are suspended until 3 p.m. UAE on March 2.
Etihad Airways: all flights in and out of Abu Dhabi are suspended until 2 p.m. UAE on March 2.
Qatar Airways: all flight operations remain temporarily suspended.
Emirates passenger Jaiveer Cheema, who was set to fly back home to the US on Saturday, told Business Insider that he was stuck on his plane for five hours with no food before everyone was deplaned and shuffled into the crowded terminal at Dubai International.
"The next several hours at the airport were chaos as no one knew what to do," he said. "We spoke to several security guards and Emirates employees, and they all gave us different answers."
Cheema said they stood in line after line until they eventually got a hotel voucher and took a bus to the lodging. He was still waiting for a room 90 minutes after arriving — it's after midnight in Dubai; nearly 20 hours after he initially showed up for his 9 a.m. flight.
While many passengers are stranded within the region's closed airspace, shuttered until further notice, the disruption has rippled far beyond it.
Flights to the affected region from places like London, Bali, Bangladesh, and the US have been canceled outright or diverted mid-journey — leaving travelers far from home in crowded airport terminals and uncertain when they will be able to depart.
Airlines have told passengers on social media to expect long wait times at airports and on customer-service phone lines as they try to manage the abrupt disruptions.
The sheer number of displaced people and planes is expected to snowball worldwide if airports are unable to restart operations soon.
Flight operations at the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport in Lebanon on Saturday.
Passengers in Dubai were funneled into long snaking lines.Jaiveer Cheema is one of the thousands of people stranded in limbo.
Courtesy of Jaiveer Cheema
Cheema spent hours in line but managed to secure a hotel voucher — though he had yet to secure a room when talking with Business Insider. He said he did not have answers from Emirates on what's next.
An Emirates spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Passengers at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport in Lebanon are stranded.Passengers are stranded at Rafik Hariri International Airport on Saturday.
Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images
Airlines are pivoting their operations in response to the strikes. Lufthansa Group said it is suspending flights to Beirut, Tel Aviv, Amman, Erbil, and Tehran until March 7.
"The following airspaces will also not be used until March 7: Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, and Iran," the aviation corporation said. "In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines will suspend flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Dammam until March 1. Furthermore, the airspace of the United Arab Emirates will not be used until March 1."
People outside the region are stuck in places like Bali, Europe, and the US.Passengers look at the departure board at Bali Airport.
Johannes P. Christo/REUTERS
Passengers not in the region are still stuck as flights to the megahubs of Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi remain canceled through at least March 2.
The flights that diverted to places like Rome, Paris, Istanbul — and those that never took off — have left travelers far from home with uncertainty about when they'll depart.
International flights at Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal were disrupted.Flights are cancelled at Tribhuvan International Airport.
Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERS
The Tribhuvan International Airport shared a passenger advisory on Saturday, saying international flights "may be subject to delay, rescheduling, or cancellations" due to airspace restrictions.
The airport told passengers flying with major airlines — including Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines — to coordinate with those companies to navigate travel issues.
Passengers flying with major airlines were told to check their flight status.Qatar, Etihad, and Emirates planes sit together in Bali after being forced to divert on Saturday amid the attacks in the Middle East.
Johannes P. Christo/REUTERS
Qatar, Emirates, and Etihad are the "Big 3" airlines of the Middle East and carry tens of thousands of passengers a day through their busy megahubs in Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
The flight suspensions will have a significant impact on international travel.
Qatar's airspace closure caused flight disruptions at Hamad International Airport.Passengers at the Hamad International Airport in Qatar on Saturday.
Stringer/REUTERS
Qatar's Hamad International Airport said all aircraft movement has been temporarily suspended due to the country's closed airspace.
"Our priority is always the safety of our passengers and employees. We are working closely with government stakeholders and airline partners to look after passengers that have been impacted," the airport wrote in an advisory.
In London, flights to the countries in the Middle East were canceled.The Emirates check-in counter at London Gatwick Airport shows cancelled flights on Saturday.
Ben Stansall / AFP
Flights heading to the Middle East were also canceled at London Gatwick Airport in England on Saturday.
London Gatwick Airport told some passengers to expect travel interruptions.Travelers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Mohammad Ponir Hossain/REUTERS
A London Gatwick Airport spokesperson told Sky News it's "expecting disruption to our Qatar and Emirates flights."
Some international flights out of Indira Gandhi International Airport are experiencing disruptions.Passengers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Dehli on Sunday.
Hindustan Times/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
The X account for the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India, said the ongoing conflict has disrupted some flight operations.
"Due to the evolving political situation in the Middle East, westbound international flights continue to experience disruptions and schedule changes," the airport said on Sunday. "Passengers are advised to check the latest flight updates with their respective airlines before heading to the airport."
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