How US-Iran war impacts global travel, tourism

Thousands of flights have been cancelled and millions of passengers stranded around the world following strikes on Iran by the United States (US) and Israel over the weekend. The conflict has particularly disrupted air travel through Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest travel hub, with Iranian attacks targeting critical infrastructure including hotels and the airport itself.

Dubai International Airport handled 95.2 million passengers in 2025, making the cancellations particularly significant, as virtually all of the flights in and out of the UAE were cancelled since Saturday.

Leslie Josephs, CNBC’s airline reporter, explained the scale of the disruption: “More than a million passengers have been affected by flight cancellations since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran over the weekend. I was stranded outside of the country. All flights had been cancelled, UAE airspace closed.”

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Josephs, noted Dubai’s strategic importance: “Dubai International Airport is a critical travel hub connecting virtually every part of the world. The airport has been struck multiple times. We got 20 minutes from Dubai and turned around because the Iranians were firing missiles at Dubai. The UAE is Iran’s number one target because of its relationship with the United States.”

“The arrivals board was just blank. The cancellations have left travellers worldwide stranded, including holidaymakers and business passengers connecting through major Middle Eastern hubs”, she said.

“I’m getting messages from contacts, from sources, from friends saying we’re still stranded, ranging from Australia to all over Asia,” she added.

Dale Buckner, CEO of Global Guardian added that the attacks appear aimed at exerting political pressure. “The Iranians are targeting the airports to create political pressure as they slow down commerce, they slow down business, they disrupt travel, they disrupt the tourism industry. If this goes on for a month or five weeks, that will create economic hardship.”

Local authorities have authorised a limited number of flights to evacuate stranded passengers. “They’re going to unseat all of that backlog, and then that airport, we assume, will remain closed for the foreseeable future in Dubai,” Josephs explained.

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Evacuations underway amid rising tensions

Buckner highlighted the urgency of leaving conflict zones: “The earlier you take action, the earlier you move, the better off you will be. You have a 90 percent higher probability of survival if you move out of a conflict zone than if you shelter in place.”

He also stressed practical advice for travellers: “The number one advice that we have for people that are going to move is you’ve got to check the visa requirements specifically. If you have an event planned for somewhere in the Gulf or Middle East, we are in a wait-and-see moment. Watch, listen. Keep the plans you have. In the interim, call your travel provider, call the airlines, call the hotel and ask them very clearly: what is my refund policy? Travel insurance doesn’t always cover things like this. Customers need a cancel-anytime policy. Some airports in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan remain operational, and airlines are planning massive repatriation efforts”.

Emma Graham, CNBC’s Middle East Bureau Chief, however  noted that despite the closures, life in Dubai remains largely normal. “Many of them have said no. Life is too good here. Dubai is not this kind of wasteland or war zone. That is just completely wrong. Yes, the airport was empty, but I’m still home in my apartment and everything works, and hopefully it will stay that way. Airlift that could include the largest passenger planes in the world and possibly private jets to move as many people as possible.

In Abu Dhabi, authorities have accommodated stranded passengers in hotels, covering the costs themselves. “The countries actually paid for it, which is just unheard of. So obviously they are sure that everybody is going to be able to get out soon,” she added.

Economic fallout from the conflict

Buckner described the broader economic implications: “It’s fascinating to see them targeting airports. That represents a lot to me in Dubai because it’s attacking the economic engine of Dubai.”

He warned that prolonged disruption could be severe. “We projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that. If this goes five weeks, every day that goes further, you’re going to have major impacts, specifically to Dubai as it is heavily dependent on tourism. That tourism is going to dry up. The hospitality industry, which needs food coming in every day off ships and airplanes, is being wildly disrupted. Lastly, with the Suez Canal all but shut down now, eventually you will see this affect oil and gas and the ability to run a nation.”

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Buckner also highlighted the UAE’s importance as a trading partner. “The UAE is the top US trade partner in the Middle East. In 2025, total trade between the United Arab Emirates and the US reached $39 billion. The UAE has over $1 trillion invested in the United States, and has pledged to invest $1.4 trillion in the US economy over the next decade. They want to create political pressure where the UAE starts to go to the administration and question: are you going to help defend us?”

Despite the tension, Graham noted that authorities are committed to maintaining stability. “The message from the Dubai government is that the economy is continuing. We will protect people here. The UAE will not allow Abu Dhabi or Dubai to fail. They built too much on their reputation here.”

The full extent of the impact remains unclear. Buckner cautioned, “What’s happening now in Iran, the airspace closures, is not just affecting travellers, but it could also drive up the prices for shipping and other goods because there could be surcharges tacked on to those prices. There’s lots of concern that retaliatory strikes from Iran could hit other places. Airlines are having to skirt those areas, taking longer routes which require more fuel and time, and that’s going to trickle down to ticket prices too. Once you start a conflict, there are going to be surprises. Once you pull the tail of a snake, it has the opportunity to bite you back. That is where we’re at today. Uncertainty. Uncertainty. Uncertainty.”