Thousands of passengers across the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Iran are facing severe disruption after a wave of cancellations and delays rippled through key hubs in Dubai, Istanbul, and Tehran.

At least 34 flights operated or scheduled by Berniq Airways, Air France, Iran National Airlines Corp., Arkia Israel Inland, and Pegasus have been cancelled, while more than 300 flights have been delayed in a cascading operational crisis affecting regional and long haul routes.

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Weather, Regional Tensions, and Capacity Strains Converge

The latest disruptions stem from a complex mix of factors, including winter weather in Turkey, renewed security concerns around Iranian airspace, and ongoing capacity strains at major Gulf and Turkish hubs. In Turkey, Pegasus and other carriers have spent much of January battling bouts of severe weather that led authorities and airport operators to impose temporary flight reductions and proactive cancellations at Istanbul’s airports.

Data from regional aviation trackers and airport operations indicate that Istanbul, one of the world’s busiest transfer points, has been particularly hard hit in recent days, with rolling waves of schedule changes. Flight curtailments have affected services to and from Tehran and other Iranian cities, amplifying the pressure on already stretched operations at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.

In the Gulf, Dubai International has experienced knock on effects as airlines reroute around congested corridors and re time services to accommodate aircraft and crew displaced by earlier cancellations. The result has been a patchwork of delays, missed connections, and stranded passengers across the broader Middle East and Near Asia corridor.

Key Airlines Pull Flights as Operational Risks Rise

Among the most affected carriers in this episode are Berniq Airways, Air France, Iran National Airlines Corp., Arkia Israel Inland, and Turkish low cost carrier Pegasus. Collectively, these airlines have cancelled at least 34 flights touching Dubai, Istanbul, and Tehran, while dozens more services have suffered knock on delays.

Pegasus, which operates a dense network from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, has been repeatedly forced to trim its schedule in January as meteorological authorities ordered capacity cuts during periods of heavy snow and strong winds. A series of notices issued this month detailed cancellations on both domestic and international sectors, including routes linking Istanbul with Tehran and Mashhad. Those moves have contributed significantly to the cancellation tally and have generated secondary disruption in Tehran where arriving and departing slots are tightly coordinated.

Iran National Airlines Corp. and other Iranian carriers, already operating under constraints linked to sanctions, aircraft availability, and a nationwide internet blackout, have struggled to keep services stable amid protests and sporadic security alerts. Industry sources report that several rotations between Tehran and regional destinations in Turkey and the Gulf have been dropped or rescheduled at short notice, complicating the travel plans of both business travelers and members of the diaspora.

Major Hubs in Dubai, Istanbul, and Tehran Under Pressure

Dubai International Airport continues to function as the primary long haul hub in the region, but its efficiency is closely tied to conditions in neighboring markets. When Istanbul or Tehran scales back traffic, Dubai often sees a surge of rebooked passengers and diverted itineraries, which can strain gate availability and ground handling resources even when local weather is clear.

Recent traffic statistics from service monitoring platforms have shown a spike in delays on flights linking Dubai with Turkish and Iranian cities. Airlines feeding Dubai from Istanbul and Tehran, including some of the affected carriers, have had to juggle aircraft rotations amid out of position planes and crew duty time limits. This has led to longer ground times and misaligned connection windows, particularly for passengers connecting onward to Europe, North America, and East Asia.

In Istanbul, both the main Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen have faced repeated traffic management initiatives this month. Capacity restrictions, introduced to maintain safety in low visibility and wintry conditions, frequently translate into sweeping cancellations and rolling delays. Even when primary airlines such as Turkish Airlines and Pegasus rebuild their schedules, recovery can take several days, resulting in prolonged instability for transfer passengers using Istanbul as a connecting hub.

Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, meanwhile, has been operating against a backdrop of domestic unrest and an ongoing internet shutdown throughout much of Iran. The combination of technical challenges, intermittent communications, and route adjustments by foreign carriers has created an unpredictable operating environment in which last minute changes are increasingly common.

Knock On Delays Affect Hundreds of Flights

While the current focus is on the 34 flight cancellations associated with Berniq Airways, Air France, Iran National Airlines Corp., Arkia Israel Inland, and Pegasus, aviation analysts stress that the true impact should be measured in total network disruption. More than 300 flights across the region are estimated to have suffered delays tied directly or indirectly to this latest wave of schedule changes.

Delays have particularly affected multi sector itineraries involving connections at Istanbul, Dubai, and Tehran. Travelers departing from secondary cities in Turkey or Iran have reported missed onward flights in Dubai due to late inbound arrivals, leading to forced overnight stays or rerouting via alternative hubs such as Doha or Riyadh.

Industry observers note that even short disruptions at one airport can produce a cascade of problems for airlines running tight aircraft utilization patterns. A single short haul cancellation in Istanbul can leave an aircraft and crew out of sync for several successive legs, turning an isolated weather incident into a full day of rolling delays across multiple countries.

Passengers Face Long Queues, Limited Information, and Complex Rebookings

For travelers caught in the disruption, the experience has been marked by long queues at check in counters, packed transfer desks, and congested customer service lines. With many flights filling up fast during the winter travel period, finding alternative seats on the same day has proven difficult, particularly on popular routes between the Gulf, Turkey, and Iran.

Passengers traveling on Berniq Airways and Arkia Israel Inland have faced heightened uncertainty because both carriers operate limited frequencies on key regional routes, which reduces options for same carrier rebooking. Many have had to accept reroutes involving multiple airlines, additional stops, or involuntary downgrades in cabin class as agents attempt to clear mounting backlogs.

In Iran, the ongoing internet blackout has complicated efforts by passengers to receive timely flight updates, manage online check in, or reach airline customer portals. Travelers have increasingly relied on airport announcement boards, word of mouth, and international relatives checking information from abroad. For those departing Tehran or transiting through the city, this has turned routine trips into stressful, information scarce experiences.

At Istanbul’s airports, travelers described scenes of overnight crowds in terminal seating and makeshift sleeping arrangements as airlines struggled to secure hotel rooms close to the airport. Although some carriers handed out meal vouchers and accommodation offers where required under local regulations, others urged passengers to claim compensation later through online channels once operations normalize.

Operational Responses from Airlines and Authorities

Airlines involved in the disruption have adopted a mixture of preemptive cancellations and rolling schedule adjustments. Pegasus, following directives from Turkish meteorological and aviation authorities, has announced in advance a series of flight cancellations from Istanbul on specific dates in January when heavy weather was forecast. This strategy, while disruptive, is intended to provide passengers with slightly more notice than same day cancellations.

Air France and other European carriers serving the Middle East have reprofiled some flights to avoid congested corridors and reduce exposure to potential security hotspots. This sometimes entails longer routings, which increase block times and may result in late arrivals into hubs like Dubai or Istanbul, triggering further knock on delays for connecting banks of flights.

Iranian authorities have coordinated closely with local carriers to keep essential domestic and regional services running amid protests and connectivity outages. However, aviation analysts say the operating environment remains fragile, with little redundancy in fleet capacity and limited flexibility to absorb sudden spikes in demand caused by cancellations elsewhere in the network.

Airport operators in Dubai, Istanbul, and Tehran have activated contingency plans that include temporary capacity caps, prioritization of certain flights, and increased staffing at key passenger touchpoints. Ground handling companies and air traffic controllers have been working extended shifts to process backlogs, though their ability to resolve the situation fully depends on improved weather and a stabilization of schedules by airlines.

What Travelers Should Do if Their Flight Is Affected

With disruption likely to continue intermittently through the winter season and amid regional instability, travel experts urge passengers flying through Dubai, Istanbul, and Tehran to monitor their itineraries closely and build additional buffer time into complex journeys. Travelers are advised to check flight status directly with their airline’s official channels before heading to the airport, even if their ticket was purchased via an online travel agency.

For those already stranded, prioritizing contact through airline apps, official call centers, or staffed transfer desks can speed up rebooking, although wait times remain lengthy during peak disruption windows. Passengers on affected flights are encouraged to retain boarding passes and receipts for accommodation, food, and ground transport, as these may be needed to support later claims for compensation or reimbursement under applicable consumer protection regimes.

Industry consultants also recommend that passengers passing through Istanbul or Tehran consider allowing longer minimum connection times than usual, especially when flying on separate tickets. Where possible, booking on a single ticket or with the same airline alliance can simplify rebooking rights and reduce the risk of being left to purchase an entirely new onward ticket after a missed connection.

Travel insurance with strong trip interruption and delay coverage can provide an added layer of protection, though policies vary widely in how they handle weather related or security linked disruptions. Passengers are urged to review their coverage terms before travel and, where necessary, contact their insurer promptly once disruption occurs.

Outlook for Operations in the Coming Days

Aviation planners expect that operations in Dubai, Istanbul, and Tehran will remain vulnerable to further disruption in the short term. In Turkey, winter weather patterns are forecast to persist, raising the possibility of additional capacity cuts at Istanbul’s airports. Airlines may continue to cancel flights preemptively on days with severe conditions in order to avoid more chaotic same day disruptions.

In Iran, domestic unrest and communications challenges are likely to keep airlines cautious about scheduling, particularly on routes that have already seen intermittent suspensions. Foreign carriers, including some European airlines, will continue to adjust schedules in response to evolving security assessments around Iranian airspace and neighboring conflict zones.

For the Gulf hubs, including Dubai, the main challenge will be absorbing irregular operations from neighboring states while maintaining reliable long haul schedules. Airlines based in the region have significant experience managing such disruptions, but high winter load factors and tight aircraft utilization leave little margin for error.

For now, thousands of travelers remain caught in the middle of an intricate web of cancellations and delays that stretch beyond any single airline or airport. As Berniq Airways, Air France, Iran National Airlines Corp., Arkia Israel Inland, Pegasus, and their peers work to stabilize operations, passengers planning to travel through Dubai, Istanbul, and Tehran in the coming days are being urged to stay flexible, informed, and prepared for last minute changes.