Global air travel was plunged into chaos yesterday, February 28, 2026, as the sudden shutdown of Israeli, Iranian, and Iraqi airspace grounded planes worldwide. This comes as a result of a series of joint military operations carried out by Israel and the United States. As of now, the main airspace of these countries has been declared a restricted area for global air travel. This has left many global airlines scrambling to redirect flights between Europe and Asia.

IndiGo on ‘high alert’ as it issues official statement, warns of imminent changes

The leading Indian airline, IndiGo, issued an official travel advisory yesterday, stating that the situation in West Asia is unpredictable. Even though the airline has yet to assess the long-term effects of these military operations, it has signaled that imminent changes are coming.

The airline issued an official statement, saying:

“We are closely monitoring regional updates concerning Iran and its airspace,” the airline stated in a social media briefing. “Our teams stand prepared to implement any necessary adjustments as the situation evolves.”

The airline has asked all its patrons to check their flight status through their registered contact details before making their way to the airport, as they will be updated regularly as the “security environment” changes.

Air India diverts AI139 to Mumbai amid shutdown

As the strikes began, Air India had to divert its main flight to the Levant. As the Israeli government closed its airspace, Air India’s Flight 139, which was originally scheduled to travel from Delhi to Tel Aviv, was diverted back towards India.

“The flight is returning to India in the interest of the safety of passengers and crew,” an Air India spokesperson said. “The airline is being proactive in its approach, as it continues to evaluate the safety of the flight corridors in the coming hours.”

Global Impact: Flydubai and Russian Carriers Suspend Service

The “airspace paralysis” was, however, not restricted to Indian airlines alone:

Flydubai: The Dubai-based airline has admitted that its flights were impacted as the “temporary and immediate” closure of Iraqi, Iranian, and Israeli airspace came into effect.

Russia: The Russian Transport Ministry has suspended all flights to Israel as well as Iran.

Extended flight times: Authorities in Russia issued a warning that flights to the Gulf will take significantly longer due to the fact that pilots will have to take “prepared alternative routes” that are away from the conflict zone.

The ‘Ghost Skies’: Images of the conflict zone

Data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24 offered a chilling visual of the situation. According to the data, there were no civilian planes in the “Tehran Flight Information Region” or the Levant, resulting in a massive “hole” in the world’s air traffic map.

“The closure of multiple airspaces is disrupting dozens of airlines simultaneously,” an analyst from Flightradar24 explained. As a result, there is a complex “maze” of restricted airspaces that will cause unprecedented delays and fuel costs over the course of the week.