Middle East Sees Massive Flight Cancellations After U.S.-Israel Attacks on Iran


Skift Take

Several airspace closures in the Middle East following U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran threw the region into chaos as multiple carriers suspended operations out of the UAE, Israel, and Qatar.

More than 1,800 flights in the Middle East were canceled as of Saturday evening following joint U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran.

As of Saturday evening, 966 of the 4,218 flights scheduled to arrive in the Middle East were canceled, amounting to around 23% of scheduled service in the region, according to data from Cirium. 

Iran attacked several countries in the region that house U.S. military bases, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar.

President Donald Trump said Saturday he wants to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program, overthrow its government, and destroy the country’s military. Trump said Saturday evening that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in the attacks.

Trump also