Iran strikes disrupt thousands of flights; Dubai Airport hit

[DUBAI] Thousands of flights have been disrupted in the wake of the escalating conflict engulfing the Middle East, with Dubai’s main airport – the world’s busiest aviation hub – effectively shut down after it was hit by a suspected aerial strike.

There have been more than 2,300 flight cancellations in the region, from Bahrain to Tel Aviv, in the past day, with more than 90 per cent of departures from Dubai International Airport being scrapped, according to FlightAware data. 

Middle Eastern airlines were severely disrupted as of Sunday morning, with Emirates canceling 87 per cent of its scheduled flights and FlyDubai cancelling 89 per cent. The cancellation rate at Etihad, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways were 67 per cent, 79 per cent and 36 per cent respectively, according to the data.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been stranded as the region functions as a global superconnector, linking any two points on the planet with one single stop in airports like Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. That’s helped carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad to create massive fleets that funnel passengers through their hubs, turning the Middle East into a vital artery for global air-traffic flows. 

Though the Persian Gulf has become accustomed to disruptions as the skies over large swaths of the Middle East suffered restrictions several times during the past two years, an outright suspension for many hours on a massive regional scale is unprecedented, highlighting the stakes in the conflict that’s pitting Iran against Israel and the US. BLOOMBERG