The U.S. and Israeli military operation in Iran has paralyzed transportation in the Middle East, leaving tens of thousands of people stranded. This is reported by The Guardian.
Experts emphasize that flights scheduled for the coming days and weeks may continue to face disruptions, leading to global repercussions. Many airlines have been forced to either cancel flights or switch to longer routes, bypassing the danger zone. This creates pressure on operational costs and ticket prices, which may rise further if airlines have to pay more for fuel as the war drags on.
CNN notes that several countries are taking steps to evacuate citizens who have faced flight cancellations and found themselves stranded in the Middle East amid the escalation of the Israeli-American war with Iran.
Key transit airports, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Doha in Qatar, have been affected as much of the region's airspace remained closed following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
"The entire Middle East is currently inaccessible for air transport, which is a high cost for some airlines," said Subhas Menon, head of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines.
The consequences are being felt far beyond the Middle East: tens of thousands of passengers have been stranded in remote locations such as Bali and Kathmandu. According to flight tracking platform FlightAware, thousands of flights have been affected across the Middle East, and the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar remained virtually empty, as shown by Flightradar24 maps. Airlines offering direct flights from Asia to Europe may circumvent the closed Middle Eastern airspace by flying north through the Caucasus and then into Afghanistan, or south through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and then into Oman. However, this may increase flight times and fuel consumption, leading to higher costs amid soaring oil prices.
Dubai International Airport was affected during the Iranian attacks, and the international carrier Emirates announced the suspension of all flights to and from its mega-hub in Dubai. Reuters reports that in seven Middle Eastern countries that closed their airspace after the first U.S. and Israeli strike on Iran on February 28, more than 6,000 flights were canceled. Dubai International Airport, the world's largest international transport hub, accounted for more than 3,000 canceled flights.
Unrest at Sea
Six cruise liners have been locked in the Persian Gulf, forced to remain in port for safety reasons.
On March 1, two Iranian drones exploded near the cruise ship Mein Schiff 4, owned by the German tour operator TUI, in the port of Abu Dhabi. They struck a warehouse at the Al-Salam naval base near the port, igniting containers. Tourists filmed huge plumes of smoke from the balconies of the liner, which was set to embark on the "Magic of the East" cruise.
The ship had 2,506 passengers and about 1,000 crew members on board, none of whom were injured, but panic ensued. "Many passengers, including numerous families with children, were on the verge of a nervous breakdown: panic, crying, fear of the consequences. And no one knows how and when we will get out of here," Bild quoted TUI customers. Passengers were gathered in the ship's theater and advised not to go out on the outer decks and to avoid windows.
