(Publish from Houston Texas USA)
(Mian Iftikhar Ahmad)
Airports in Dubai Closed Amid Iranian Missile Threat, Disrupting Global Air Travel and Trade
The world’s busiest airports, Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum Airport, have been officially closed, with 280 flights forced to return yesterday while 250 flights had already faced delays earlier, due to fears of Iranian ballistic missile attacks, the airports have remained shrouded in darkness and tension since early morning, Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways have grounded all flights and Doha Airport has also been closed, air operations across other Middle Eastern countries including Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Syria, and Qatar have been completely suspended, Turkey has also stopped its airlines in the region, major airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, and large commercial flights are now affected with many flights canceled or delayed to various countries, Dubai Airport, which handles millions of passengers daily for stopovers, has seen international air connectivity severely disrupted.
The suspension of air operations has caused significant disruption to global trade and economic activity, crude oil prices have surged to $100 per barrel with the added risk of closure of the Strait of Hormuz through which 21 million barrels of oil reach industrial nations daily, the UAE economy, heavily reliant on air connectivity, trade, and tourism, is facing severe setbacks, the tourism sector is also affected as airport closures have restricted revenue for hotels, resorts, and business centers, airlines are in a state of fear and panic with no immediate solution available, every economy in the Middle East has been impacted and the effects of Iranian attacks are not limited to U.S. bases but have severely disrupted commercial, financial, and logistic networks.
Due to the closure of eastern air routes, flights now have to cover extended distances, planes are being forced to take longer routes, IndiGo has suspended flights to Almaty and flights to Baku, Tashkent, and Tbilisi will also remain suspended until March 28, commercial flights as well as cargo and logistics operations have been affected, the international aviation industry is witnessing a scene never seen before, global energy markets and the air travel economy are under unprecedented pressure, the UAE’s economic and commercial reputation is at risk, U.S. and Arab authorities are attempting to manage the situation, yet a sense of fear and insecurity prevails, Iranian attacks have not only impacted airports but have disrupted all major commercial and economic activity across the Middle East.
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