Updated: March 2, 2026 / 8:07 PM EST
Air travel disruption intensified Monday as the conflict with Iran entered a third day, closing airspace and airports across the Middle East and leaving thousands of travelers stranded. Tourists, business travelers and religious pilgrims remained stuck in hotels, ports and airports with no clear timeline for when flights through the region would resume.
Among those affected were more than 58,000 Indonesians visiting Islam’s holy sites in Mecca and Medina during Ramadan and about 30,000 German tourists reported stranded on cruise ships, in hotels or at closed airports. Major hubs — including airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha — remained shut after direct Iranian missile and drone strikes hit facilities in the region.
A live flight-tracking map showed civilian aircraft avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace as carriers rerouted or canceled services.
Dubai authorities said Monday their two main airports would reopen later in the day for limited operations, several days after closures triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliation. Dubai Airports said Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central — Al Maktoum International (DWC) would resume a limited schedule that evening and urged passengers not to travel to the airports unless their airline had confirmed a departure.
Emirates said it would operate a small number of flights Monday evening and would prioritize customers with earlier bookings, advising others not to go to the airport unless notified. Doha-based Qatar Airways said its flights remained suspended and planned to provide an update Tuesday morning.
Several carriers announced cancellations or suspensions: Air France canceled services to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh, and airlines from Air India to KLM issued suspensions and travel advisories. Airspace over multiple countries was closed: Jordan said it would shut its airspace from later Monday “until further notice” to ensure civil aviation safety, and Iraq extended a complete closure of civilian airspace for at least 48 hours, citing ongoing security concerns.
Governments scrambled to assist nationals abroad. U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Britain was establishing support systems to help citizens leave the Gulf region, home to an estimated 300,000 Britons, and was exploring a wide range of options, including possible government evacuations. “We’re working on every possible option,” she told Sky News while noting ongoing strikes.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said a military evacuation was not feasible because of the airspace closures and that Germany was pursuing other means to repatriate citizens, urging travelers to follow guidance from tour operators and local authorities. The German Travel Association told tourists to remain at their booked hotels and not attempt to travel to airports or neighboring countries. Other governments issued similar advice.
The U.S. Embassy in Israel instructed all U.S. government employees and their families to shelter in place and announced it would be closed Monday, saying it was not in a position to evacuate or directly assist Americans leaving Israel. President Trump said Sunday the joint operation would continue “until all of our objectives are achieved,” potentially up to four weeks. The U.S. military reported at least four American service members killed.
Thousands of travelers awaited further notices from airlines and governments as authorities assessed damage and security risks. With major routes disrupted and few clear timelines for reopening, passengers faced growing uncertainty over how and when they could continue their journeys.
Tucker Reals contributed to this report.