Passengers were stranded around the world as airlines sought to reroute around the Middle East, where most nations had slammed their airspace shut as Iran launched retaliatory strikes on the glittering Gulf cities. Tehran hit both Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest for international traffic — and Kuwait’s main airport during its retaliation a day earlier. Stranded passengers wait at Velana International Airport in Male on Sunday after the cancelation of several flights destined for the Middle East. Even Russia’s invasion of Ukraine did not affect the major air hubs of the Middle East through which travelers to destinations in much of Asia almost always transit, he said. Nations including France and Thailand have said they are looking at evacuating citizens from the Middle East.

Source: Taipei Times March 02, 2026 17:57 UTC