Photos show chaos at airports as passengers are left stranded due to canceled flights

• Airports in the Middle East suspended all flight operations until further notice, leaving many people stranded.

• While the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, Iran also launched retaliatory attacks across the region.

• One Emirates passenger told Business Insider that he was stranded on a plane with no food for five hours before everyone was escorted off the plane.

Travelers in uncertainty as airport departure boards turn red after flight Strikes in Iran It resulted in the closure of airspace and triggered mass flight cancellations.

The heart of the chaos is in the Middle East, where airports in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi serve as mega hubs for global connecting traffic. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows that their respective major airlines – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways – carry a total of 90,000 transit passengers per day.

This figure does not include the thousands of travelers whose final destination was the Middle East.

Emirates passenger Jaiveer Cheema, who was preparing to fly back to the United States on Saturday, told Business Insider that he was stuck on his plane without food for five hours before everyone was escorted off the plane and into the crowded terminal at Dubai International Airport.

“There was chaos at the airport for the next few hours as no one knew what to do,” he said. “We spoke to several security guards and Emirates employees and they all gave us different answers.”

Cheema said they waited in line until they finally got a hotel voucher and boarded a bus to the hostel. 90 minutes after arriving he was still waiting for a room; It was past midnight in Dubai; about 20 hours after he first arrived for his 9 a.m. flight.

While many passengers were stranded closed airspace of the regionThe glitch, which was closed until further notice, has rippled far beyond that.

Flights to the affected region from places such as London and the US were either canceled entirely or diverted mid-voyage; This left travelers far from home, in crowded airport terminals and with uncertainty about when they would be able to depart.

Airlines took to social media to tell passengers to expect long wait times at airports and on customer service phone lines as they tried to manage the sudden outages.

If airports cannot reopen soon, the number of displaced people and planes on Saturday alone is expected to create a snowball effect around the world.

Passengers in Dubai were divided into long queues.

Cheema stood in line for hours but managed to get a hotel voucher; though he hadn’t booked a room yet when speaking to Business Insider. He said he hasn’t heard back from Emirates about what’s next.

An Emirates spokesperson did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.

Passengers were stranded at Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport in Lebanon.

Airlines are changing their operations in response to strikes. Lufthansa Group It said it was suspending flights to Beirut, Tel Aviv, Amman, Erbil and Tehran until March 7.

Airlines are suspending flights across the region, including Lebanon.

In the statement shared on the Lufthansa Group’s website, the company said that it would also suspend flights in additional regions.

The aviation company said, “The following airspaces will also not be used until March 7: Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar and Iran.” he said. “In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines will suspend flights to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riad and Dammam until March 1. Additionally, the airspace of the United Arab Emirates will not be used until March 1.”

International flights at Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal were disrupted.

Tribhuvan International Airport shared A passenger advisory on Saturday stating that international flights “may be subject to delays, rescheduling or cancellations” due to airspace restrictions.

Passengers flying with major airlines have been told to check their flight status.

Tribhuvan International Airport told passengers flying with major airlines, including Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, to coordinate with these companies to resolve travel issues.

Qatar’s airspace closure caused flight disruptions at Hamad International Airport.

Qatar Hamad International Airport in question Due to the country’s closed airspace, all aircraft movements have been temporarily suspended.

“Our priority is always the safety of our passengers and employees. We are working closely with government stakeholders and airline partners to care for affected passengers,” the airport said in an advisory. he wrote.

Flights to Middle Eastern countries were canceled in London.

Flights to the Middle East were also canceled at England’s London Gatwick Airport on Saturday.

London Gatwick Airport has told some passengers to expect disruption to travel.

A spokesman for London Gatwick Airport told Sky News: “Disruption is expected for our Qatar and Emirates flights.”

Are you a stranded traveler with a story to share? Contact reporters ledmonds@insider.com And trains@insider.com along with your preferred contact information.

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