FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – SriLankan Airlines, the state-owned national carrier, announced the cancellation of 10 flights to Middle Eastern airports on Monday due to the ongoing closure of airspace in several parts of the region. The affected flights were scheduled to operate to and from Dubai, Doha, Dammam, Riyadh, and Kuwait.
This disruption follows the escalation of conflict in the Middle East after the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday (28), marking the most significant impact on global aviation since the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, major regional powers have restricted their airspace, effectively turning the Middle East—a crucial aerial corridor connecting Europe, Africa, and the West to Asia—into a no-fly zone.
Aviation authorities in countries including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and the UAE have enforced varying levels of airspace closures. This has led to the immediate grounding or rerouting of thousands of flights. Key global aviation hubs such as Dubai International (DXB), Doha (DOH), and Abu Dhabi (AUH) have experienced unprecedented shutdowns, with some facilities sustaining minor damage from Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
The situation has left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded and severely disrupted the operations of major airlines like Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad, which typically handle the transit of nearly 90,000 passengers daily. For airlines that continue to operate, the crisis has resulted in significant and costly logistical challenges. To avoid conflict zones, carriers are now required to navigate narrow corridors over Saudi Arabia or take much longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope or through Central Asia. These alternative paths add between 90 minutes and three hours of flight time on routes between Europe and Southeast Asia, substantially increasing fuel consumption and operational costs.
Additionally, the geopolitical risk premium has led to a surge in aviation insurance and fuel prices, which is expected to result in a significant rise in global ticket fares. For Sri Lanka, a nation heavily reliant on tourism, these airspace closures pose a considerable threat. The disrupted transit links through the Gulf have triggered a wave of cancellations from its key high-spending markets in the West.
(Colombo/March 2/2026)
