Special Flights Deployed to Evacuate Travellers Stranded in Middle East

Governments and airlines have initiated special flights to evacuate tens of thousands of travellers stranded in the Middle East, following disruptions caused by ongoing conflict in the region. The situation remains precarious, with several countries having closed their airspace in response to recent military actions.

Reports indicate that Qatar has taken measures to prevent Iranian attacks on its airport, which is considered a major transit hub in the Middle East. The escalation of hostilities, including US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has led to widespread flight cancellations and operational challenges for airlines.

Data from aviation analysis firm Cirium shows that between Saturday and Monday, at least 12,903 flights were cancelled, accounting for approximately 40 percent of scheduled flights in the region. Cirium further estimates that Middle Eastern flights typically offer around 900,000 seats daily, suggesting that the number of affected travellers could exceed one million.

Air travel disruptions were particularly severe on Sunday, when nearly all flights departing from the United Arab Emirates were cancelled. By Monday, the cancellation rate had decreased to 93.5 percent as Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports began limited operations. On Tuesday, several Emirates flights successfully departed, signaling a gradual resumption of services.

Despite these efforts, the overall situation remains unstable, and authorities continue to monitor developments closely. The deployment of special evacuation flights underscores the scale of the disruption and the challenges faced by both travellers and airlines in the region.