Travel is facing its biggest crisis since Covid with thousands of flights expected to be cancelled this week.

Flights to and from Middle Eastern destinations are set to remain suspended owing to the continuing conflict across the region, according to leading airlines.

A total of 539 flights from the UK to the Middle East are expected to be grounded in the seven days from March 1, equating to 180,008 seats, according to flight analytics firm Cirium. From now until Saturday, more than 70 UK flights a day are likely to be cancelled.

Latest figures show 49 UK flights to the Middle East have been cancelled so far today. Globally, 1,555 flights to the Middle East have been cancelled, as of 10am today.

Almost 2,800 flights were cancelled on Saturday, and 3,156 were cancelled on Sunday, according to the tracking platform FlightAware. Airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar was still virtually empty on Monday, according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24.

Have you been impacted by the travel disruption? If it’s safe for you to do so, contact webtravel@reachplc.com

Paul Charles, a travel and aviation specialist who operates the PC Agency, spoke to the Express from Sao Paulo, where he had been awaiting a cancelled flight back to the UK. He said: “When we look at the Cirium data for yesterday alone, well over two million people were affected yesterday. That is a lot of people.

“The airline needs to wait for the airspace to reopen. They have planes stuck all over the world. In Sao Paulo yesterday, for example, I saw Qatar Airways flights stuck. Cargo can’t go anywhere; it isn’t going anywhere in the Middle East. It is early days, but the longer this goes on, the more it will cost. We’re talking billions of dollars of lost trade and tourism.”

Paul forecast that the travel ramifications of the strikes would persist for weeks if not months. “Even if this conflict was settled tomorrow, it would take a long time to settle properly.”

The travel specialist said the chaos was “not dissimilar” to the Icelandic ash cloud, which caused what was then the most significant air-traffic closure since World War II. Aviation was grounded for ten days and it required a month for services to return to normal.

The only greater disruption in recent memory, according to Paul, was the coronavirus pandemic, when commercial aviation between most nations was halted for months.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, who represents travel agents across the UK as CEO of the Advantage Travel Partnership, told the Express: “Our members have been working aorund the clcok trying to help passengers in the region. We’re working hard, trying to manage. They’re all making sure they’re supporting customers as best they can, but there will be a significant backlog when flights resume.”

She added: “We’re an industry that is impacted by so many macro impacts. The industry is very good at trying to manage situations out of its control.”

This week’s travel chaos follows an attack on Iran by US and Israeli forces on Saturday morning, which both nations described as a “pre-emptive” strike against the Tehran government allegedly intent on developing nuclear weapons. The assault triggered a counterattack from Iran, with missiles reportedly aimed at Israel and various countries across the Middle East.

In a statement issued on X on Sunday morning, Emirates airline confirmed: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 3pm UAE time on Monday March 2.”

The carrier is urging passengers due to travel before or on March 5 to rebook onto another flight or apply for a refund.

“We are actively monitoring the situation and engaging with relevant authorities,” the airline added. Etihad Airways has cautioned passengers to expect disruptions whilst airspace closures remain in place. “Regional airspace closures continue to impact Etihad’s operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 2am UAE time on Monday March 2,” the airline announced on X.

Etihad is encouraging passengers to check their flight status on its website before travelling to the airport and to confirm their contact details are up to date in their booking. Passengers holding Etihad tickets for travel up to 3 March can also apply for a full refund, the airline stated.

“We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls and appreciate your patience as it may take longer than usual for calls to be answered,” an Etihad spokesperson said. “The situation remains dynamic and schedules may change at short notice.”

Qatar Airways confirmed on Saturday evening that services remained temporarily grounded due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

The airline stated on X: “Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A further update will be provided by 9am Doha time (6am UTC).”

In a follow-up post on Sunday morning, Qatar Airways cautioned passengers about fraudsters masquerading as airline representatives online. “We are aware of fraudulent accounts impersonating Qatar Airways and requesting personal information,” the carrier warned.

“Qatar Airways will never ask for passwords, OTPs, banking details, or other sensitive information via social media or direct messages.”

Virgin Atlantic confirmed on Sunday morning that it continues to avoid Iraqi airspace, resulting in some necessary rerouting of flights between London Heathrow and the region. “Due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, we have rerouted some of our flights and taken the decision to cancel services between London Heathrow and Dubai, as well as services between London Heathrow and Riyadh on Sunday 1 March and Monday 2 March,” a spokesperson confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has advised British citizens in Bahrain, Israel, Palestine, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to register their presence with the UK Government in order to receive updates on the situation in the Middle East. In a statement published on X on Saturday evening, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced: “British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Palestine, Qatar and United Arab Emirates can register their presence to receive direct updates from the FCDO on the situation in the Middle East.

“You should continue to follow travel advice and the advice of the local authorities.”

The Foreign Office released a subsequent update on Sunday afternoon instructing British nationals in the coastal city of Duqm in Oman to “immediately shelter in place”, whilst those in the capital city of Salalah should “leave as soon as possible”. “Any British nationals currently visiting Salalah, or within 100km, should look to leave as soon as possible if commercial means allow,” the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advised in a statement on X.

“Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”