The most immediate impact for travelers has been in the air. Since joint strikes on Iran at the end of February, large sections of Middle Eastern airspace have been intermittently closed or effectively unusable to international carriers, forcing airlines to suspend routes outright or plot lengthy detours around conflict areas. Coverage in global and regional outlets describes tens of thousands of passengers stranded in early March when airports across Iran, Israel and several Gulf states temporarily halted civilian traffic.
Long-haul connections between Europe, the Gulf, South Asia and Australasia have been particularly affected. Aviation and travel trade publications report that flights between India and Western destinations are adding hours to their journeys to avoid Iranian and adjacent airspace, driving up fuel costs and reducing the number of weekly frequencies airlines can operate. In some cases, carriers have suspended services to individual Gulf cities or rebooked passengers through alternative hubs farther from the conflict zone.
While some Middle Eastern airports have since reopened on a limited basis, risk bulletins circulated to corporate clients stress that airspace permissions can change with little warning in response to new missile launches, drone activity or military alerts. Travelers are being advised to build in longer connection times, monitor airline communications closely and be prepared for last-minute cancellations or diversions, even if a route appears to be operating normally when first booked. read more: source:https://www.thetraveler.org/middle-east-travel-alert-as-conflict-widens-and-air-routes-shift/
