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GCC targeted by Iranian strikes: Etihad Airways extends flight suspension for day 3
According to data shared by a global aviation analytics firm, more than 2,000 inbound flights were cancelled across Gulf and Middle East countries as of 2.30 am on Tuesday
- PUBLISHED: Mon 2 Mar 2026, 2:38 PM
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways on Monday suspended flights for the third day due to military conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran.
“Regional airspace closures continue to impact Etihad Airways’ operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 2pm UAE time on Tuesday, March 3,” said the UAE national carrier.
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Passengers holding Etihad tickets issued on or before February 28, 2026, with travel dates up to March 7, 2026, may rebook free of charge onto Etihad-operated flights up to March 18, 2026, the airline said on Monday.
“We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls and appreciate your patience as it may take longer than usual for calls to be answered” it said.
Over 2,000 inbound flights cancelled
According to data shared by a global aviation analytics firm, more than 2,000 inbound flights were cancelled across Gulf and Middle East countries as of 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday. They account for nearly 50 per cent of all scheduled flights.
“For outbound and inbound arrivals and departures, roughly double the number of flights are scheduled and cancelled. Aircraft typically return to their home base every 24 hours,” it said.
There are around 900,000 seats per day scheduled to fly to the Middle East from abroad and within the region, it said.
“We note that the airspace is closed in many countries of the Middle East, and so the cancellation rate should be 100 per cent (for some countries). However, some airlines have not updated their schedules to officially cancel flights, or have simply not flown the flights,” said Cirium.
