The ongoing conflict involving Iran has severely disrupted one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors, triggering widespread flight cancellations and leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded across the globe.

Major aviation hubs in West Asia, including Dubai International Airport, Hamad International Airport in Doha and Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, have faced unprecedented disruption as several countries closed their airspace following escalating hostilities between Iran, the United States and Israel.

According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, more than 23,000 flights have been cancelled since the attacks on Iran began last weekend. In total, over 27,000 flights to major West Asian hubs have been affected as airlines scramble to adjust their schedules.

Dubai, the world’s second-busiest airport for international passengers, was forced to shut operations for several days after Iranian drone attacks created major security concerns in the region. As a result, thousands of passengers travelling through key transit hubs across the Gulf have been stranded.

With large parts of West Asian airspace closed, airlines are being forced to take long detours to avoid the conflict zone. Flights operating between Europe and India, as well as those connecting Asia and Australia, are now flying thousands of additional kilometres.

These detours are adding two to four hours to normal flight times, increasing fuel consumption and operational costs for airlines already facing logistical challenges.

Indian airlines face heavy losses

Indian carriers have been particularly affected because many of their international routes pass through West Asian airspace.

IndiGo is reportedly losing ₹4–5 crore per day due to disruptions, while SpiceJet is estimated to be losing around ₹25–35 lakh daily. The situation has also affected airline valuations. Since the conflict began, the market capitalisation of both listed airlines has dropped by nearly 11 percent.

Air India is also facing major operational challenges, with up to 40 percent of its operations impacted due to route disruptions and airspace closures.

Jet fuel prices surge

Adding to the pressure, aviation fuel prices have risen sharply and are now at their highest level since 2022. The combination of longer flight routes and higher fuel costs is putting significant financial strain on airlines worldwide.

Thousands seek evacuation

The crisis has also triggered a wave of emergency evacuations. Tens of thousands of travellers are trying to leave the region after commercial aviation services were severely reduced.

Several governments, including those of the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, have organised chartered flights to evacuate their citizens.

The United States Department of State said it would increase charter flights to help Americans stranded in the region. Nearly 20,000 US citizens have already returned home since the conflict began.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in the United Kingdom said more than 138,000 British nationals, most of them in the United Arab Emirates, have contacted authorities seeking assistance.

So far, the UK government has arranged three evacuation flights, one of which arrived in London after departing from Oman’s capital, Muscat, following a long delay.

Canada is also preparing evacuation flights. Foreign Minister Anita Anand said the government expects chartered flights carrying around 2,000 stranded Canadians to depart from the UAE within the next few days.

Ticket prices soar

The disruption has also led to a sharp rise in ticket prices as passengers scramble to leave the region.

Many travellers are now trying to reach airports in cities such as Riyadh or Muscat, where limited flights are still operating. However, tickets have become extremely expensive due to high demand.

Some travellers reported paying over £1,000 for one-way tickets, while premium tickets on major airlines such as Emirates have reportedly risen to £4,000 or more for a single journey. In some cases, wealthy travellers are spending large amounts of money to charter private aircraft to escape the region.

The escalating conflict has effectively turned the skies over West Asia into one of the biggest pressure points for global aviation. The region normally acts as a critical transit corridor linking Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, and disruptions there quickly ripple across the global airline network.

As long as the conflict continues and airspace restrictions remain in place, airlines and passengers around the world are likely to face continued delays, higher costs and travel uncertainty.