Air Canada Unites with Delta, United, American and More in Cancelling Flights to Middle East After US and Israel Strikes on Iran and Tehran Targets Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi and Others

After US and Israeli strikes on Iran sparked a growing regional security crisis that quickly destabilised Gulf aviation corridors, Air Canada joined Delta, United, American, and others in suspending flights to the Middle East. Tehran retaliated against the US and Israel’s planned effort on February 28, 2026, targeting Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. Explosions were reported in Dubai, notably in the Marina area, and air defence systems were triggered throughout the emirate. Operational risk was immediately created by the escalation, which compelled the closure of Iranian and Iraqi airspace and required traffic to use alternate routes over Saudi Arabia. Airlines responded by halting service into impacted cities like Dubai and Tel Aviv as missile and drone activities increased the perceived war zone. The US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory targeting of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other regional states caused thousands of flights to be disrupted and one of the most strategically important air transit networks in the world to be broken up. This is reflected in the decision by Air Canada, Delta, United, and American to cancel flights to the Middle East.

Military Escalation and Immediate Airspace Shutdown

The strikes, described as a major combat operation, were followed by missile and drone launches across the region. Iran and Iraq closed their airspace as the exchange intensified. Aircraft that normally transit Iranian and Iraqi skies linking Europe, North America and Asia were forced to divert or cancel.

Flight-tracking data showed that overnight Gulf traffic was still crossing northeast Iraq. But around 6am GMT, the pattern abruptly stopped. Aircraft began diverting westward over Saudi Arabia. Civilian airspace over Iran and Iraq effectively emptied within hours. Flights already airborne were rerouted mid-journey. Others were held on the ground or cancelled outright.

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest international hub handling roughly 250,000 passengers per day, temporarily suspended flights due to multiple regional airspace closures. The suspension had global consequences for connecting traffic between Western Europe, North America and Asia.

Retaliatory Strikes Expand the Risk Zone

Tehran’s retaliatory actions widened the perceived conflict zone beyond Iran and Israel. Bahrain reported missile activity near the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama. Qatar confirmed missiles targeted Al Udeid Air Base. In the United Arab Emirates, explosions were reported in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with air defence systems activated near Al Dhafra Air Base. Kuwait confirmed defensive activity near Ali Al Salem Air Base. Saudi Arabia reported explosions near Riyadh and condemned the escalation.

The geographic spread of missile activity reinforced airline decisions to suspend services across the broader Gulf region.

American Airlines, Delta and United Suspend Middle East Operations

American Airlines removed Middle East-linked services from its schedule as security conditions deteriorated. Delta and United grounded Tel Aviv operations amid the escalation and widespread halting of flights to and from Israel by global carriers.

At present, there are no officially published, verified flight numbers specifically tied to the 28 February 2026 cancellations for American Airlines, Delta or United. Booking systems reflect withdrawn segments and suspended schedules, but airlines have not released detailed lists of affected flight numbers.

Delta has historically paused New York–Tel Aviv schedules during previous regional escalations, and United has previously operated Newark–Tel Aviv services that were suspended during prior conflict waves. American Airlines historically operated New York–Tel Aviv services that have been suspended during broader regional instability. However, no new specific flight numbers have been publicly announced for this latest escalation.

Nearly 3,000 Flights Disrupted Across the Region

The scale of disruption was immediate and quantifiable. Regional airport data recorded 1,818 cancellations and 1,114 delays, bringing the total to 2,932 disrupted flights within hours of the escalation.

Dubai recorded 920 cancellations and 390 delays. Abu Dhabi reported 184 cancellations and 151 delays. Jeddah recorded 177 cancellations and 93 delays. Riyadh reported 120 cancellations and 66 delays. Doha recorded 112 cancellations and 149 delays. Kuwait saw 106 cancellations. Tel Aviv reported 131 cancellations. Amman recorded 88 cancellations and 76 delays.

The figures demonstrate how rapidly aviation networks absorb geopolitical shock.

Wider International Airline Impact

Beyond US carriers, multiple international airlines suspended or cancelled operations. Emirates temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai and grounded flights to Baghdad, Beirut and Amman. Qatar Airways halted operations to and from Doha. British Airways cancelled Heathrow services to Tel Aviv and Bahrain and grounded its Amman route. Virgin Atlantic cancelled its Heathrow–Dubai service. FlyDubai suspended services to Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Tel Aviv and Damascus. Wizz Air halted flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman until at least 7 March. Air Canada, Eurowings, Finnair and Swiss cancelled services to Dubai.

Several aircraft en route to Gulf hubs returned to departure airports including Dublin, Istanbul and Warsaw once closure notices were issued.

Flight Status Overview

Airline	Affected Route Segment	28 Feb 2026 Flight Numbers Published?	Notes on Current Status
Air Canada	Flights to/from Dubai (DXB) and Middle East hubs	No	Services cancelled or suspended following Dubai airspace closure. No specific flight numbers officially released.
Delta Air Lines	United States Tel Aviv (JFK TLV historically)	No	Tel Aviv operations paused amid escalation. No confirmed 28 Feb flight numbers published.
United Airlines	Newark/New York Tel Aviv	No	Tel Aviv services suspended. Previous conflict saw UAL84 return mid-air and UAL90 cancelled (2025 event, not 2026). No new flight numbers released for 28 Feb 2026.
American Airlines	New York (JFK) Tel Aviv (historic route)	No	Middle East-linked services removed from schedule. No official 28 Feb 2026 flight numbers published.

Regional Aviation Disruption Overview

Following the escalation after the US and Israel strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory actions across Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and neighbouring states, Middle Eastern aviation networks experienced severe operational disruption. Across the affected region, a total of 1,818 flights were cancelled and 1,114 flights were delayed, bringing the grand total disruption to 2,932 flights within a short period.

The United Arab Emirates recorded the heaviest concentration of cancellations, with Dubai International Airport alone accounting for 920 cancellations and 390 delays. Abu Dhabi registered 184 cancellations and 151 delays, while Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Al Maktoum and Fujairah reported smaller but notable impacts.

Saudi Arabia’s major hubs also absorbed substantial disruption. Jeddah recorded 177 cancellations and 93 delays, Riyadh saw 120 cancellations and 66 delays, Dammam reported 101 cancellations, and Medina recorded a balanced mix of 28 cancellations and 31 delays.

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport registered 112 cancellations and 149 delays, reflecting heavy congestion. Kuwait recorded 106 cancellations and 35 delays. Oman’s Muscat airport experienced more delays than cancellations, with 53 cancelled and 101 delayed flights. Bahrain reported 60 cancellations and 41 delays.

Jordan’s Queen Alia International saw 88 cancellations and 76 delays. Iraq’s Baghdad, Basrah, Erbil and Najaf airports together accounted for 87 cancellations. Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport recorded 131 cancellations, while Beirut in Lebanon experienced 30 cancellations and 42 delays. Iran’s Imam Khomeini Airport reported 20 cancellations and two delays. Damascus recorded limited but measurable disruption.

Country-Wise Disruption Tables

United Arab Emirates

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Dubai International	DXB	920	390
Abu Dhabi International	AUH	184	151
Sharjah International	SHJ	24	76
Ras Al Khaimah International	RKT	12	8
Al Maktoum International	DWC	4	6
Fujairah International	FJR	2	0

Saudi Arabia

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
King Abdulaziz International (Jeddah)	JED	177	93
King Khalid International (Riyadh)	RUH	120	66
King Fahd International (Dammam)	DMM	101	33
Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz (Medina)	MED	28	31

Qatar

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Hamad International	DOH	112	149

Kuwait

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Kuwait International	KWI	106	35

Oman

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Seeb International (Muscat)	MCT	53	101

Bahrain

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Bahrain International	BAH	60	41

Jordan

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Queen Alia International	AMM	88	76

Iraq

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Baghdad International	BGW	38	3
Basrah International	BSR	16	4
Erbil International	EBL	21	0
Al Najaf International	NJF	12	0

Israel

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Ben Gurion International	TLV	131	6

Lebanon

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Rafic Hariri International (Beirut)	BEY	30	42

Iran

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Imam Khomeini International	IKA	20	2

Syria

Airport	Code	Cancelled	Delayed
Damascus International	DAM	4	2

Why Exact Flight Numbers Are Not Widely Available

Global airlines typically implement rolling schedule adjustments during airspace closures. Routes may be removed from sale or marked cancelled in booking systems before detailed flight-number lists are publicly released. In many cases, the route suspension is confirmed before individual flight numbers are formally disclosed.

While aviation tracking platforms such as FlightRadar24 and FlightAware may reflect real-time cancellations, major news agencies and airline press releases have not yet published comprehensive flight-number lists tied specifically to the 28 February 2026 escalation.

This explains why confirmed flight numbers for American Airlines, Delta and United linked to this event are not currently available, even though route-level suspensions are evident.

Government Advisories and Ongoing Risk

Government advisories have reinforced airline caution. The UK Foreign Office updated its travel guidance to warn against all travel to Israel and Palestine due to the escalating regional threat. Similar reviews are underway elsewhere as the security environment evolves.

Airlines emphasise that passenger and crew safety remains the overriding priority. With Iranian and Iraqi airspace closed and retaliatory missile activity reported across Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, suspension of operations is considered a precautionary and necessary response.

Air Canada unites with Delta, United, American and more in cancelling flights to the Middle East after US and Israel strikes on Iran prompted Tehran to target Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi and others, forcing airspace closures and mass disruption.

Operational Uncertainty Ahead

With nearly 3,000 flights disrupted in a single escalation wave, the aviation corridor linking North America and Europe with the Gulf remains fragile. American Airlines, Delta and United are expected to continue monitoring the situation and adjusting schedules accordingly.

Until regional airspace stabilises and missile activity subsides, further cancellations and rerouting remain likely. The events underscore how rapidly geopolitical conflict can reshape global air traffic patterns and disrupt interconnected aviation systems within hours.

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