On March 1, 2026, passengers were stranded at Velana International Airport in Male after several flights to the Middle East were canceled.
Mohamed Afra | AFP | Getty Images
Travelers have been stranded as far away as Australia, Brazil and the Maldives after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran this weekend. Airspace in the area remains closed and returning home could be difficult for at least a few days.
Here’s what you need to know:
Why are flights disrupted?
Around 3,000 flights have been canceled since the Iranian conflict began on Saturday, according to aviation data firm Cirium, and Iranian attacks continue to impact other parts of the region.
Airspace was closed across large swathes of the Middle East, with flights to and from Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest hubs, Tel Aviv and Doha, Qatar, suspended. The attack closed the region’s airspace and forced more than 40 flights to be diverted early Saturday morning.
That means customers connecting through major hubs in the region are also affected, leaving travelers, business travelers and other travelers stranded around the world.
When can travelers return home?
That remains unknown. As of 11:30 a.m. ET, regional airspace closures continue to impact flights. Airlines need to reposition aircraft that are scattered around the world.
For example, the Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft operated by Etihad Airways, is deployed to several cities including London, Paris, Toronto and Singapore. Flightradar 24 reported on Sunday that four of the planes were stationed at a base in Abu Dhabi. However, Etihad Airways had begun repositioning its aircraft at its hub in Abu Dhabi in preparation for the reopening of airspace.
Qatar Airways has one A380 at its base in Doha, and others in Sydney and Bangkok.
Israeli airline El Al has suspended ticket sales and said its priority in the coming weeks is to ensure that travelers with tickets can return home.
All airlines have issued exemptions for affected destinations.
Major airlines are also likely to add extra flights once airspace is reopened to cope with the surge in demand.
The State Department did not immediately comment on the plan, but special flights were added around the world to bring travelers home at the start of the 2020 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Is travel insurance helpful?
Standard travel insurance typically does not cover events that have already occurred or have occurred, such as military attacks or hurricanes. Travelers must purchase a more expensive option called “cancel at any time” insurance to allow that.
—CNBC’s Contessa Brewer contributed to this article.
