The present turmoil in the Middle East has severely impacted trans-Atlantic air service. Nowhere is that more evident than at major airports in Dubai and Doha. Dubai International Airport, known as the world’s busiest air hub, temporarily halted all flights on Monday. Tensions have since been exacerbated by Israel’s military offensive. In response, airlines are now refusing to fly over Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
Airport officials in Dubai have advised travelers to expect additional delays and cancellations. The confusion was further worsened by the fact that on the same day, Doha’s Hamad International Airport stopped operating. The combined airport typically handles nearly 400,000 passengers per day. They are important travelers’ connections in the air travel corridor between Asia and Europe. Abu Dhabi International Airport handles the flow of approximately 80,000 passengers each day. This serves to illustrate the deep disruption these airspace closures have caused.
The ongoing war has compelled airlines to reroute their flights. They’re even rerouting today, either north over Turkey or south over Saudi Arabia because huge swaths of crucial airspace remain closed. About 1,400 flights cross this corridor each day, a reminder of how the [insert] situation’s global effects continue to play out on the travel landscape.
Tim Atkinson, an aviation expert, noted the interconnectedness of air travel:
“There is a fundamental interconnected nature of air travel. So when disruption begins, it spreads almost like wildfire.”
Most operators have been most shocked by the rapidity of Europe closing its airspace to Qatar. Atkinson warned,
“The closure of Qatar airspace will cause enormous disruption, not just to flights.”
More than a dozen international and domestic airlines have canceled commercial flights to most of the region. This decision comes during a time of heightened tensions over the past several days. John Strickland, another aviation analyst, emphasized the financial implications:
“Delays to flights because of following longer routings means more cost to the airlines because they are burning more fuel.”
The consequences of these delays go far beyond the immediate frustration experienced by travelers. Airlines are struggling with dramatically increased operational costs and the logistical difficulty of adapting to new routing requirements.