Middle East Airspace Closures — Impact on Flights & Express Carrier Services

Status: Active — Situation Evolving
Severity: Critical

Background

Following coordinated U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran beginning February 28, 2026, widespread airspace closures have been implemented across the Middle East. At least eight countries — Iran, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Jordan — have fully or partially closed their airspace, shutting down some of the world's busiest aviation hubs including Dubai International (DXB), Hamad International in Doha (DOH), and Zayed International in Abu Dhabi (AUH). More than 3,400 flights have been cancelled and over 19,000 flights delayed globally. Express logistics carriers FedEx, UPS, and DHL have all issued service alerts, with pickup, delivery, and flight operations suspended across multiple Middle Eastern markets.

Cancellations and Diversions

The scale of disruption is unprecedented in recent years. By Sunday, March 1, Flightradar24 reported more than 3,400 cancellations across seven Middle Eastern airports alone. Aviation analytics company Cirium recorded that 22.9% of all flights scheduled to land in the Middle East on Saturday were cancelled, with similar figures on Sunday.

Major Airline Suspensions

Hong Kong Impact

Three departures from Hong Kong (including Cathay Pacific flights to Dubai and Riyadh) were cancelled on February 28–March 1, with additional flights delayed for rerouting. Dubai is Hong Kong's sixth-busiest cargo partner, and any prolonged closure will disrupt express freight and high-value shipments between Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Europe.

Express Carrier Service Alerts

FedEx,UPS,DHL,Spaceship Air

Status: Flights and services suspended across the Middle East

Last Update: 3 Mar 2026​

• Flights suspended to and from: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

• Pickup and delivery services temporarily halted in: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and the UAE until further notice.​

• Extended transit times expected for shipments to and from other regional markets, including Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.​

• FedEx does not operate in Iran due to U.S. trade restrictions.​

Aramex

Status: Accept shipments but will not operate until flights resume.

Last Update: 3 Mar 2026​

What This Means for Our Operations

Immediate Actions

• Proactively notify affected customers: Any shipments currently in transit to or from the Middle East via FedEx, UPS, or DHL should be flagged as potentially delayed.​

• Rate and surcharge monitoring: Air freight rates on Asia–Europe lanes are expected to rise as Dubai is a major hub. Courier may adjust the demand surcharge.

• Europe shipment planning: Shipment routing through the Middle East may experience delays as aircraft and crews fall out of position globally.

Expected Recovery Timeline

Airline operations will not immediately return to normal once airspace reopens. Aircraft, crews, and passengers must first be repositioned back into the network. Hub carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad rely on tightly timed connection waves, meaning delays and cancellations may continue for several days after reopening. Industry estimates suggest a full recovery could take 3–7 days from the date airspace restrictions are lifted.

Last Updated on March 3, 2026