MUSCAT : The conflict, which began on February 28, has significantly disrupted air traffic across the Middle East after a series of attacks and military responses prompted several countries in the region to close their airspace as a precautionary measure.
Data released by Cirium, a global aviation analytics company, shows that more than 52,000 flights were cancelled between February 28 and Friday out of over 98,000 scheduled flights during the same period. The widespread cancellations have sent ripple effects across the international aviation network, leaving thousands of travellers stranded at airports around the world, particularly in parts of Asia where many long-haul flights transit through Middle Eastern airspace.
Based on an estimated aircraft occupancy rate of around 80 per cent and an average seating capacity of 242 passengers per aircraft, Cirium estimates that more than six million passengers have been directly affected by the cancellations so far.
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The disruption has also forced airlines to alter global flight patterns. With several airspaces restricted or closed, many European and Asian carriers operating long-haul routes have begun increasing direct flights between Europe and Asia in an effort to bypass the crisis-affected Middle Eastern corridors.
According to the data, Gulf-based airlines have been among the hardest hit by the wave of cancellations due to their heavy reliance on regional air routes that connect Europe, Asia and Africa through major Middle Eastern hubs.
Despite the scale of disruption, there are signs that the situation may be gradually stabilising. Cirium’s estimates indicate that cancellation rates, which surged to more than 65 per cent between March 1 and March 3, have begun to decline in recent days. By Thursday, the rate had dropped to approximately 46.5 per cent as airlines slowly resumed operations amid evolving security conditions in the region.
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