is creating challenges for Gulf carriers who have built their businesses on large hubs in the region to connect opposite sides of the globe.

, and Doha are major stopover airports for passengers traveling to Southeast Asia, India, or Australia from the United States and Europe. As large portions of the Persian Gulf’s airspace continue to close on and off, millions of passengers face a grim calculus: more hours in the sky, fewer options, and

Middle Eastern airlines are some of the most profitable airlines in the world thanks to cheaper fuel costs and a focus on premium,

through connections in their gleaming airports conveniently situated between East and West.

But the US’ and Israel’s war with Iran has all but crippled their operations as missile strikes force

and Qatar to temporarily close their airspace and suspend flights—and the ripple effects are being felt far beyond Iran. „They’re not really waging this war on the battlefield,” says Christopher Anderson, a professor at Cornell University specializing in revenue management in the hospitality industry. “They’re waging this war in economic pain in other avenues, through inconvenience for other Gulf region countries.”

serving the region, Qatar Airways has been hit the hardest, with 4,929 flights, or nearly 89% of its schedule, cancelled between February 28 and March 24, according to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Emirates has cancelled 2,280 flights, or about 44% of its schedule; Etihad Airways has cancelled 2,292 flights, or about 67% of its schedule. Regional players like Gulf Air, Flydubai, and Kuwait Airways have also seen massive waves of cancellations over the more than three weeks so far of fighting.

, with recovery gradual and uncertain. Qatar Airways is operating a limited number of flights through March 28—a list that now includes New York, Miami, London, and dozens of other destinations—as Qatari airspace remains largely closed. „These flights are currently operating within a limited safe corridor defined by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority,” the airline said in its most recent update on March 19. “Each flight requires careful planning and remains subject to regulatory approvals and airspace conditions.” Emirates and Etihad have also pared their schedules down significantly through the end of March.

Sursă: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-the-iran-war-is-reconfiguring-the-worlds-flight-map