The current situation at European airports has been tense since the start of the war with Iran at the end of February 2026 and has been marked by significant disruptions to international air traffic. Major airports in particular, such as FRA and CDG, are suffering when it comes to flights to Asia.
Although the most immediate effects are being felt in the Gulf region, the conflict has also hit Europe’s airports hard, as key air corridors between Europe and Asia have been affected.
Worse than during the pandemic?
Since the start of the war, over 23,000 flights have been cancelled worldwide. The majority of these cancellations affect routes that normally pass through the Middle East – one of the most important transit regions for global air traffic. At major hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi alone, tens of thousands of flights have been cancelled or drastically reduced.
In total, the cancellations in Middle Eastern traffic amount to more than 20,000 flights, representing around 4.4 million seats.
It is possible that air travel could once again come to a standstill in a shocking manner
The ongoing Iran war is having a significant and clearly visible impact on the global aviation industry, but it does not come close to the scale of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current conflict has led to airspace closures across parts of the Middle East, forcing airlines to reroute long-haul flights, increase operating costs, and cancel thousands of services.
Routes between Europe and Asia are particularly affected, with longer flight times, higher fuel consumption, and reduced network efficiency. As a result, passengers are facing delays, higher fares, and limited availability on certain routes. However, despite these disruptions, global air traffic continues to operate, and the majority of the international network remains functional, albeit under strain.
The pandemic has hit airlines and the tourism industry far harder
In contrast, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented collapse in global aviation demand. International borders were closed, travel restrictions were imposed worldwide, and passenger volumes dropped dramatically. At the peak of the crisis, up to 90 percent of global flights were grounded, and airlines were forced to suspend operations on a massive scale. Thousands of aircraft were parked for extended periods, and the industry suffered severe financial losses across all regions.
Many people are suffering, not only in the war zones…:
The fundamental difference lies in the nature of the disruption: COVID-19 effectively eliminated demand, bringing aviation to a near standstill, whereas the Iran war primarily constrains supply by disrupting key air corridors. In summary, while the current conflict represents the most serious challenge to aviation since the pandemic, it remains significantly less severe in both scale and structural impact.
What will happen next with the war?
Given the current geopolitical landscape and the threat of conflict involving Iran, the outlook for international airlines and regional tourism is highly uncertain and skewed toward significant disruption. Major international carriers are likely to minimize or entirely suspend flights to, from, and over Iran, citing severe safety risks and prohibitive insurance costs.
What effect will the war have on the tourism?
The reduction in air connectivity, coupled with widespread travel advisories from Western governments urging against all travel to Iran due to the threat of arbitrary detention and broader regional instability, will likely paralyze the country’s leisure tourism industry.
Domestic travel could also be curtailed by potential infrastructure damage or fuel shortages in a conflict scenario. The prevailing climate of heightened risk and regional tension suggests a prolonged period of suppressed demand for Iranian routes and visitor arrivals, severely impacting the broader hospitality and tourism sectors.
Examples with forecasts for 2026:
In the following article a victim of the war is described with details:
One of the most famous victims of the war: The renowned Hotel Casa de la Playa on the beautiful island of Siquijor is now up for sale…
A cautious forecast of Mrs. Sanae Diouri, an international hotel and tourism expert:
ASSUMING THE CONFLICT CONCLUDES IN THE NEAR FUTURE, THE 2026 TOURISM FORECAST WOULD PIVOT TOWARD A RAPID AND ROBUST RECOVERY. AIRLINES WOULD QUICKLY RESTORE DIRECT ROUTES TO AND OVER IRAN AS SECURITY ASSESSMENTS IMPROVE AND INSURANCE COSTS NORMALIZE, LEADING TO INCREASED AIR CONNECTIVITY. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVISORIES WOULD LIKELY BE EASED, ENCOURAGING THE RETURN OF INTERNATIONAL LEISURE TRAVELERS TO IRAN’S CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL SITES. A SUCCESSFUL, EARLY PEACE COULD SIGNIFICANTLY BOOST CONSUMER CONFIDENCE, RELEASING CONSIDERABLE PENT-UP DEMAND. CONSEQUENTLY, HOTELS, TOUR OPERATORS, AND RELATED SERVICES WOULD LIKELY EXPERIENCE A SWIFT REBOUND, LEADING TO HIGH OCCUPANCY RATES AND A RESURGENCE IN VISITOR ARRIVALS BY LATE 2026, THOUGH SOME LONG-TERM TRAVELERS MIGHT REMAIN CAUTIOUS IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH…
