Qatar Airways, qatar airways hit as Middle East airports close and thousands stranded

qatar airways is one of several Gulf carriers affected after air strikes in Iran prompted closed airspace and mass cancellations that left travelers in limbo. Departure boards flipped to red as airports in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi — global connecting megahubs — saw widespread disruption.

Chaos at Dubai International

As of Sunday, all flights in and out of Dubai International Airport — the world's busiest airport for international travelers — remain suspended until further notice, and passengers were being advised not to travel to the airport. Travelers described departure boards turning red and long, uncertain waits in crowded terminals as flights were canceled or delayed.

Qatar Airways among carriers affected

Data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium shows the home airlines Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways carry a combined 90, 000 transit passengers a day. That figure does not include the thousands of travelers whose final destination is the Middle East. The three major Middle Eastern airlines shared status updates on X on Sunday.

Passenger accounts of delay

Emirates passenger Jaiveer Cheema, who was set to fly back home to the US on Saturday, said he was stuck on his plane for five hours with no food before everyone was deplaned and shuffled into the crowded terminal at Dubai International. "The next several hours at the airport were chaos as no one knew what to do, " he said. "We spoke to several security guards and Emirates employees, and they all gave us different answers. "

Cheema said they stood in line after line until they eventually got a hotel voucher and took a bus to the lodging. He was still waiting for a room 90 minutes after arriving — it was after midnight in Dubai and nearly 20 hours after he initially showed up for his 9 a. m. flight. He said he did not have answers from Emirates on what's next. An Emirates spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Lufthansa suspensions and airspace

Airlines have begun pivoting operations in response to the strikes. Lufthansa Group said it is suspending flights to Beirut, Tel Aviv, Amman, Erbil, and Tehran until March 7. "The following airspaces will also not be used until March 7: Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, and Iran, " the aviation corporation said. "In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines will suspend flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Dammam until March 1. Furthermore, the airspace of the United Arab Emirates will not be used until March 1. "

Wider cancellations and diversions

While many passengers are stranded within the region's closed airspace, shuttered until further notice, the disruption has rippled far beyond it. Flights to the affected region from places like London, Bali, Bangladesh, and the US have been canceled outright or diverted mid-journey — leaving travelers far from home in crowded airport terminals and uncertain when they will be able to depart. Passengers were warned to expect long wait times at airports and on customer-service phone lines as airlines manage abrupt disruptions.

Beirut operations noted Saturday

Flight operations at the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport in Lebanon on Saturday were part of the unfolding picture of regional disruption. Industry observers warned the sheer number of displaced people and planes is expected to snowball worldwide if airports are unable to restart operations soon. Passengers not in the region remained stuck as flights to the megahubs of Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi remained canceled through at least March 2.

Authorities and carriers continued to update schedules and advise travelers while thousands remained stranded across terminals and in transit hubs.