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Hundreds of travelers were left sleeping on terminal floors at Baghdad and Erbil airports on March 10 as at least 23 flights to the United States, the United Kingdom and key Middle Eastern hubs were cancelled amid Iraq’s extended airspace shutdown and widening airline suspensions.
Airspace Closure Deepens Disruptions at Baghdad and Erbil
The latest wave of cancellations came after Iraqi authorities extended a nationwide airspace closure and flight suspension for an additional 72 hours on Monday, citing the deteriorating regional security situation and the risk of further missile and drone attacks. The move effectively halted most international departures from Baghdad International Airport and Erbil International Airport, compounding days of rolling disruptions.
Airport departure boards in both cities showed line after line of cancelled flights to major transit hubs in the Gulf, Europe and North America. With airspace over Iraq and several neighboring countries restricted, airlines warned that routings that traditionally used Iraqi corridors were either impossible or subject to last minute changes, leaving passengers unsure whether they would make onward connections.
Security concerns have mounted since late February, when Iranian missile and drone strikes targeted sites in the Kurdistan Region, including areas around Erbil International Airport, and clashes flared in Baghdad. Foreign embassies, including the United States and United Kingdom, have repeatedly urged their citizens to reconsider any non essential travel and to be prepared for sudden changes in flight operations.
For many travelers, the technical language of airspace notices translated into a stark reality: cancelled boarding passes, closed check in counters and no clear timeline for when regular schedules might resume.
Major Carriers Scale Back as Cancellations Mount
Global carriers have been steadily reducing their presence in Iraqi airspace and at Iraqi gateways in recent days. Industry trackers report at least 23 cancellations on Monday alone affecting routes connecting Baghdad and Erbil with destinations in the United States, the United Kingdom and other Middle Eastern capitals, as airlines recalibrate networks around the closure.
American Airlines, which does not operate its own metal into Iraq but relies on codeshare and alliance connections through regional partners, has been suspending ticket sales and rerouting passengers away from itineraries that depend on Baghdad or Erbil as transit points. Travelers booked on journeys involving Doha, Dubai or other Gulf hubs reported abrupt rebookings, schedule changes and, in some cases, outright cancellations when segments operating across Iraqi airspace were pulled from the schedule.
Other carriers with a direct footprint in Iraq have taken more drastic steps. European and Gulf airlines have extended suspensions of flights to Erbil and Baghdad into mid and late March, while United States and Canadian carriers have maintained broad bans on operating to multiple Middle Eastern cities affected by the security crisis. Aegean, Lufthansa Group airlines and several regional operators have scrapped services not only to Iraq but also to nearby hubs such as Tel Aviv, Riyadh, Dubai and Beirut, further reducing options for passengers trying to leave the country.
Smaller regional airlines and charter operators have struggled to offer alternatives, with some attempting limited repatriation services when allowed by regulators. However, the continuing uncertainty over when Iraq’s airspace will fully reopen has kept most large scale commercial operations on hold.
Passengers Face Long Waits, Confusion and Extra Costs
Inside the terminals at Baghdad and Erbil, stranded travelers described a mix of confusion and frustration as departure screens cycled from delayed to cancelled and airline desks were quickly overwhelmed. Families returning to the United States and the United Kingdom after visits with relatives, foreign workers transiting to Gulf states and students bound for European universities were among those stuck in limbo.
Many passengers learned of cancellations only after arriving at the airport, often having already cleared accommodation and paid for ground transport. With flights to nearby hubs such as Dubai, Doha, Amman and Kuwait also limited by regional airspace closures, rebooking options were scarce and frequently involved long detours via Turkey or Europe, when seats could be found at all.
Travelers reported spending hours in lines trying to reach airline staff or call centers, while some carriers urged customers to manage changes through mobile apps that were slow to update. In a number of cases, passengers said they were offered vouchers or credit rather than refunds, leaving them to cover the cost of new tickets on other airlines if they could identify an open route out of Iraq.
Airport facilities, already stretched, struggled to cope with the influx of people staying overnight. Passengers fashioned makeshift beds from jackets and hand luggage in waiting areas, while food and water options dwindled as concessions closed for the night or ran short of supplies due to disrupted deliveries.
Knock On Effects Across the Middle East and Beyond
The turmoil in Iraqi airspace is reverberating far beyond Baghdad and Erbil. As airlines re route around closed skies and suspend services to multiple cities, airports from Dhaka to major European hubs have reported spikes in cancellations, delays and diversions linked to the same security crisis. Flight tracking data shows Gulf and European carriers scrubbing or rerouting hundreds of services since late February as they avoid flying over Iraq and neighboring conflict zones.
At some South Asian airports, authorities have documented dozens of cancellations on Middle East routes in recent days, with passengers destined for onward connections to North America and Europe left stranded. European hubs including London Heathrow, Frankfurt and Paris have seen elevated numbers of delayed and cancelled flights, as carriers juggle aircraft and crew displaced by longer routings and unplanned groundings.
Industry analysts say the situation has created a complex web of knock on effects throughout global aviation networks. Aircraft and crews out of position, combined with limited spare capacity after the busy winter holidays, mean that even travelers who are not flying to or from Iraq may feel the impact through missed connections, last minute aircraft changes or crowded rebooked flights on alternative routes.
With airspace restrictions over Iraq and parts of Iran and the Gulf still in place, airlines face a difficult balance between maintaining connectivity and ensuring safety, and many are opting to err on the side of caution, even at the cost of significant operational disruption.
Official Advisories and What Stranded Travelers Can Do
Foreign ministries and embassies have updated travel advisories in recent days, urging citizens to avoid non essential travel to Iraq and to closely monitor flight status if they must transit through Baghdad or Erbil. The United States and United Kingdom have reiterated warnings about the risk of missile and drone activity and the possibility of sudden airport closures, advising travelers to maintain flexible plans and ensure they have contingency funds and documentation for extended stays.
Consumer advocates note that passengers affected by cancellations originating from carriers based in the European Union, the United Kingdom or other jurisdictions with strong consumer protection regimes may be entitled to re routing or refunds, although security related airspace closures can complicate eligibility for additional compensation. Travelers are being encouraged to document all expenses, keep records of airline communications and check the specific terms of any travel waivers or flexible change policies now in place.
For those currently stranded at Baghdad or Erbil, consular officials recommend remaining in close contact with airlines and embassies, registering with their country’s crisis assistance service where available and considering overland exit routes only if local security conditions permit and they can arrange trusted transport. In many cases, waiting for confirmed repatriation or regularly scheduled flights to resume may be the safest option, even if it means several more days camped at or near the airport.
As of Monday evening, authorities in Iraq had not provided a firm date for lifting the extended airspace restrictions, and airlines were preparing contingency schedules that assume continued disruption through at least mid March. For travelers hoping to leave Baghdad and Erbil in the coming days, the only certainty is continued uncertainty.