International travel and the Middle East crisis

Joshuah Ebner

On the 28th of February 2026 the world was shocked by President Trump’s announcement of the opening of hostilities with Iran. Joint US-Israeli airstrikes targeted sites across the country and started a war that rapidly spilled over into countries across the Middle East. While the massive human cost of yet another conflict in the region has been front and centre in the news, so too has coverage of the thousands of travellers and tourists stranded in airports across the region. With wars now being fought in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Gaza, Lebanon and now Iran, what does this mean for international travel?

A brief introduction to international flight restrictions

While it may seem like common sense, restrictions on International flights due to war are a relatively new phenomenon. Airlines had flown routes though and over conflict zones throughout the 20th and early 21st century. This policy came with significant hazards, but restrictions on airspace typically were limited in altitude, allowing international flights to continue unabated. However, this would change in 2014 with the tragic loss of Malaysian Airlines flight 17. MH17 had been en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam when it crossed above contested territory during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The flight had been 1,000ft above the 32,000ft airspace restriction that had been implemented following the outbreak of fighting. Despite this, the flight was targeted by a Russian Surface to Air missile system and shot down, killing 298 in the deadliest aircraft shootdown to date. The loss of life in this shootdown prompted international condemnation of the Russian government and calls to fundamentally change flight restrictions to prevent a shootdown ever happening again. This is why, as many are now experiencing, airlines became increasingly cautious about flying over active conflict zones.

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East

These aviation restrictions have become particularly pertinent during the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. Air travel through Russia and Ukraine had already been heavily restricted for western airlines following the start of the full scale war in Ukraine, with all commercial flights over Ukraine’s territory ceasing. Throughout the duration of the Syrian Civil War, Syrian airspace was heavily restricted and in 2023, airspace above Israel, Gaza and Lebanon would be restricted following the start of the Gazan War. These conflicts would hinder international flight routes and restrict airlines to specific flight corridors that avoided these active warzones. In 2026, these restrictions would increase following the start of the war in Iran, which has resulted in a complete closure of Syrian, Lebanese, Iranian, Iraqi, Kuwaiti and Qatari airspace. The emergence of renewed fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan and Azerbaijan's potential involvement in the war in Iran only threatens to exacerbate this crisis further, creating a wall of restricted airspace across the Middle East.

International consequences?

In light of these events, one may wonder what effects on international aviation this crisis may have? Thousands of travellers have already been stranded in airports across the region and airlift flights from the US, UK, Germany and a number of other countries have been organised to evacuate their citizens. The closure of this airspace has led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of flights globally. Airlines will now be restricted to two corridors around the Middle East to reach destinations across Asia and Oceania, severely limiting flights in one of the busiest aviation regions in the world. This will further effect travel by increasing flight distances, increasing the necessary range of the aircraft flying through the Middle East and dramatically increasing fuel consumption on these routes. The effects of this crisis will likely be significant for travellers across the globe. International travel to destinations across the Middle East and Asia will become longer, more expensive and may be cancelled entirely for many. Cargo flown by air may also become increasingly expensive. Furthermore, air corridors around the Middle East will likely become more crowded than ever, creating new complications and safety concerns. How long these restrictions will remain in place remains to be seen, but it is clear that international aviation will be fundamentally changed for the foreseeable future.