Travellers stranded, airlines under pressure as Iran war escalates

"Major Gulf hubs, including Dubai, the world's busiest international airport, remained closed or severely restricted for a fourth day on Tuesday, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. According to Flightradar24, some 21,300 flights have been cancelled at seven major airports, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, since the strikes started."

"It's pretty well the biggest shutdown we've seen certainly since the COVID pandemic, said Paul Charles, CEO of luxury travel consultancy PC Agency, adding that beyond passenger disruption, the cargo impact would run to billions of dollars."

"The turmoil also narrows an already slim flight corridor for long-haul flights between Europe and Asia, complicating operations for global air carriers. Gulf airlines Emirates, flydubai and Etihad have been operating a limited number of flights since Monday, mostly to repatriate stranded passengers."

Major Gulf aviation hubs including Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi have remained closed or severely restricted for four consecutive days following escalating US and Israeli military operations against Iran. Over 21,300 flights have been cancelled across seven major airports, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. Airlines including Emirates, flydubai, and Etihad are operating limited flights primarily for passenger repatriation. The disruption represents the largest aviation shutdown since the COVID-19 pandemic and carries billions of dollars in cargo losses. Governments worldwide are arranging emergency repatriation flights for citizens. The closures significantly impact global air travel, narrowing flight corridors between Europe and Asia and disrupting operations for international carriers relying on these critical hubs.

Read at www.aljazeera.com