KARACHI: The ongoing war in the Middle East has intensified a crippling air crisis, with over 20,000 flights cancelled across several countries in the past five days, severely impacting global and regional travel.
According to data made available with MM News, flights from Pakistan to the Middle East remained grounded for the sixth consecutive day on Thursday, with aviation authorities reporting a total of 145 cancellations. Karachi saw the highest disruptions at 35 flights, followed by 29 from Lahore, 35 from Islamabad, 14 from Peshawar, 12 each from Multan and Sialkot, six from Faisalabad, and two from Quetta, according to aviation sources.
It is worth mentioning that at least seven airports across the Middle East, particularly UAE and Kuwait, have sustained direct strikes or impacts from Iranian attacks over the past six days (February 28 to March 5, 2026), exacerbating the regional air crisis. The affected facilities include Kuwait International Airport, Dubai International Airport, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, Doha’s international airport—particularly targeting the nearby Al Udeid airbase—as well as King Fahd Air Base and King Khalid International Airport in the Riyadh area, and Bahrain’s aviation facilities near Manama.
These strikes have crippled operations, contributing to the unprecedented wave of over 20,000 flight cancellations reported across eight countries. Aviation authorities warn that the ongoing hostilities continue to pose severe risks to air travel in the region.
In response to emergency evacuations from Gulf countries, 167 special flights operated from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah airports. However, operations in Riyadh and Dammam were also hit hard, with 57 flights cancelled and 46 delayed on Wednesday due to attacks.
Meanwhile, airports across the Middle Eastern region including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Doha faced major halts, with no flights operating from Kuwait and Doha over the last five days. Air data revealed 240 cancellations to Iran, 215 to Iraq, 58 to Beirut, 25 to Haifa, and 380 to Tel Aviv, underscoring the war’s widespread fallout on regional aviation.
