Over half a million travellers blocked in the Gulf

02 Mar 2026 Screenshot 2026 03 02 At 10 32 02 Flight Information Dubai Airports

The escalating conflict in the Gulf is severely disrupting global travel, with airspace across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates either closed or heavily restricted. Most European and Middle Eastern carriers have suspended flights, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded.

The total number of affected travellers remains difficult to determine, as there is no centralized tracking system for passengers across the region.

However, figures cited by various media outlets and organizations suggest at least 94,000 British nationals are currently stranded, including about 50,000 in the UAE alone. Approximately 115,000 Australians are also reportedly unable to travel, while the German Travel Association (DRV) says around 30,000 Germans are booked on package holidays and blocked in the Gulf. That already brings the known total to roughly 239,000 stranded travellers. With no official data yet available from many other countries, the real figure could easily be more than double when accounting for additional nationalities and transit passengers.

More than 3,000 flights cancelled
Pinpointing the exact number of cancelled flights since February 28, 2026, is equally challenging. According to Cirium data, about 966 scheduled arrivals were cancelled across Middle East and Gulf airspace on February 28 alone. When outbound flights are included, total cancellations that day likely exceeded 1,800.

By Monday, March 2, some reports estimated that more than 3,400 flights had been cancelled across the Gulf and wider Middle East, including large-scale cancellations by major carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad.

Insurance coverage uncertain
Coverage for stranded travellers varies widely depending on their country of residence and booking arrangements. Package holidays booked through tour operators are typically covered for a limited period, though conditions differ by provider. Some authorities, including those in the UAE (including Abu Dhabi and Dubai) as well as Qatar, have indicated they would cover accommodation costs for stranded passengers while airports remain closed.

For travellers who purchased individual travel insurance policies with their flights, the outlook is less favourable. Most standard policies exclude war, acts of war, and political unrest from trip cancellation and interruption coverage, meaning claims related to the current conflict are likely to be denied.