The closure of airspace in Gulf countries and the suspension of airline operations led to a decline in the movement of passengers and cargo.
According to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global passenger and cargo traffic showed overall improvement in March. However, ongoing geopolitical tensions in Gulf countries significantly impacted the global aviation industry. A major reason for this was the partial closure of key transit hubs that connect Asia with Europe, the United States, and Australia. Airspace across many Gulf countries remained closed, and several major airlines suspended their operations.
IATA data shows that flight operations to and from Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi were severely disrupted in March, with aviation activity nearly suspended throughout the month. As a result, international passenger traffic declined by 0.6% compared to March 2025, while on an annual basis the decline reached 6.2%. A major contributor to this overall drop was a sharp 60.8% decrease in airline operations across Gulf countries.
IATA further stated that due to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran’s response targeting U.S. interests across Gulf countries, airspace across the region remained either fully or partially closed. This caused significant negative impacts on global air connectivity.
In contrast, regions including Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and Latin America experienced positive growth in both passenger and cargo air traffic.
The air cargo sector was also heavily affected by the crisis. Cargo demand dropped by 54.3%, while capacity declined by 52.4%. As a result, global cargo volumes decreased, with a 4.8% year-on-year decline in March 2026.
Experts warn that if tensions in the region persist for a prolonged period, they could have long-lasting effects on the global aviation network—especially given that the Middle East serves as a crucial hub linking Asia, Europe, and Africa.
