UK plans mass evacuation as Middle-East air-space closures leave 76,000 Britons stranded
India Warns of 350-Plus Flight Cancellations as West Asian Airspace Closes
Etihad Airways grounds all Abu Dhabi departures as Gulf airspace shuts
Latest News
Austrian Airlines suspends Middle East network as regional airspace closes after Iran–Israel escalation
Following the closure of multiple Middle East airspaces after US-Israeli strikes on Tehran, Lufthansa Group has grounded all Austrian Airlines flights to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran and the Gulf until at least 7 March 2026. Vienna–Dubai and other key routes are suspended, forcing passengers and cargo to reroute and lengthening journey times. Corporates must adjust travel plans, review insurance cover and monitor further advisories.
SWISS suspends Tel Aviv flights and cancels Zurich–Dubai services amid Middle-East escalation
• SWISS has grounded all Zurich–Tel Aviv flights until 7 March and cancelled two Zurich–Dubai rotations after multiple Middle-East air-spaces closed in the wake of US-Israeli strikes on Iran. • Fourteen Israel flights and two Dubai flights are affected; passengers can rebook, reroute or obtain refunds. • Business travellers face itinerary changes, higher insurance premiums and potential cargo delays, making contingency planning essential. • The move underlines the fragility of corporate travel links between Switzerland and key markets in the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf region.
Middle-East Airspace Closure Grounds Dozens of Italian Flights and Disrupts Fiumicino Operations
A sudden closure of Middle-Eastern airspace after strikes on Iran forced Rome-Fiumicino to cancel or divert nearly 50 flights over the weekend, with more cancellations scheduled. ITA Airways has frozen services to Dubai and Tel Aviv, while European peers are rerouting or suspending operations. Although airport disruption has been contained so far, corporate travel and cargo supply chains face days of uncertainty and higher costs.
Middle-East Airspace Shutdown Strands Hundreds of Thousands, Snarls U.S. Itineraries
Complete airspace closures across eight Middle-Eastern states after U.S./Israeli strikes on Iran have cancelled or delayed more than 22,000 flights worldwide. U.S. carriers are suspending Tel Aviv, Dubai and Doha routes, leaving business travellers and assignees scrambling for alternatives and heightening duty-of-care obligations.
Emirates, flydubai extend Dubai flight ban to 15:00 as safety buffer widens
Emirates and flydubai have prolonged the suspension of all Dubai flights until 3 p.m. on 1 March 2026 in response to continuing regional missile activity. The move deletes hundreds of flights, strands expatriate assignees and stalls high-value cargo flows through the world’s busiest international airport. Travellers may rebook or seek refunds, but employers should prepare for multi-day seat shortages once operations resume.
Lufthansa suspends all UAE flights and reroutes over Gulf amid escalating Middle-East conflict
Lufthansa has halted all passenger and cargo flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and is avoiding UAE airspace until at least 4 March because of the Iran-US-Israel escalation. Detours lengthen flight times, hit fuel budgets and strand thousands of German business travellers. Corporates are activating contingency plans and reassessing duty-of-care procedures.
DGCA Issues High-Risk Airspace Alert; Indian Carriers Reroute and Waive Fees
India’s aviation regulator has designated 11 West-Asian flight-information regions as high-risk and ordered carriers to steer clear unless risk-mitigated. Indian airlines have suspended multiple Gulf routes, rerouted long-haul services and announced blanket change-fee waivers to protect passengers and corporate travel budgets.
Australia Doubles 485 Graduate Visa Fee to AU$4,600 from 1 March 2026
From today, the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa costs AU$4,600—double yesterday’s price. Canberra says the sharp increase will deter non-genuine applicants and fund stronger visa integrity measures, but universities warn it could push talent elsewhere and squeeze the graduate hiring pipeline for Australian businesses.
Brazil Opens Visa-Free Entry to Eight New Countries in Bid to Super-Charge Tourism and Business Travel
Effective 24 February 2026, Brazil scrapped short-stay visa requirements for citizens of China, Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and the Bahamas. The move is designed to reboot inbound tourism and make it easier for corporates to send staff on short-term assignments, potentially saving both time and consular fees.
China’s visa-free push draws 30 million foreign visits, up 49.5 % in 2025
Official data released on 1 March show 30.08 million foreigners entered China under visa-free schemes in 2025—nearly 50 % more than in 2024. The surge reflects an expanded 30-day waiver list and longer 240-hour transit allowances. Corporations benefit from quicker trip planning, but must monitor stay limits and employment rules.
Middle-East airspace closures force mass cancellations at Cyprus’ Larnaca and Paphos airports
An escalation in Middle-East hostilities on 1 March led Cyprus’ Larnaca and Paphos airports to cancel 48 flights to Israel and other regional hubs. The disruption highlights Cyprus’ vulnerability to shocks in neighbouring air corridors and will affect corporate travellers, supply chains and assignee movements relying on the busy East-Med route.
Mobile World Congress 2026 hit by Middle-East airspace closures, thousands of delegates forced to re-route
Air-space closures across the Gulf after overnight hostilities have caused mass flight cancellations just as Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress opens. Asian and Australian delegates are re-routing or abandoning trips, threatening the event’s €585 million economic impact and forcing companies to activate contingency staffing and virtual launch plans.
Ireland operates second 2026 deportation charter, removing 63 South Africans
A government-chartered aircraft removed 63 South African nationals from Ireland overnight, marking the State’s second mass-deportation flight of 2026. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said charters are now a “routine” enforcement tool as Ireland doubles down on illegal stayers and foreign offenders. The trend underscores the importance for employers and travellers of maintaining compliant immigration status.
Farnesina Sets Up ‘Task Force Golfo’ as 2,000+ Italians—Including 200 Students—Remain Stranded in Dubai
Italy’s foreign ministry has created a 50-person ‘Task Force Golfo’ to coordinate assistance and eventual repatriation for more than 2,000 citizens stuck in the UAE after flight suspensions, including 200 school-age students and high-profile officials. Consular teams are arranging accommodation and working with ITA Airways on special flights, but normal schedules may not resume before 7 March.
U.S. Embassy in Islamabad Cancels All Visa Appointments Amid Violent Protests
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad has cancelled every visa and routine citizen-service appointment for March 2 after violent anti-U.S. protests erupted outside consular facilities in Karachi. Applicants will receive new dates once conditions improve, but employers should expect processing delays and advise travellers to monitor official updates.
Foreign Office activates crisis-registration portal for Britons in Gulf states
The FCDO has released updated Middle-East travel advisories and opened a dedicated online portal so Britons in six Gulf territories can register for crisis alerts and possible evacuation assistance, giving businesses a vital new tool for tracking staff safety.
Air France prolongs suspension of flights to Tel-Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh amid escalating Middle-East conflict
Air France has extended its suspension of flights to Tel-Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh announced on 29 February, citing fresh security warnings after US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliation closed swathes of Middle-East airspace. The decision affects thousands of travellers transiting through Paris-CDG and is likely to raise prices and lengthen itineraries as capacity tightens on alternative routings. Mobility managers should activate contingency plans and verify staff visa and residence documentation as the situation remains volatile.