A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. Photo: VCG

Multiple flights from China to the Middle East have been canceled on February 28 as Iran was subjected to military strikes and the local security situation has become extremely severe and complex.

The Global Times learned from Air China on Saturday that from February 28 to March 2, the Beijing-Abu Dhabi round-trip flights CA705/6, the Chongqing-Dubai round-trip flights CA451/2, and the Beijing-Dubai round-trip flights 941/2 have been canceled due to public security concerns. Air China stated that it will continue to monitor the situation and provide assistance to passengers in need as much as possible.

According to Flight Master DAST data, in February 2026, the flight recovery rate from the Chinese mainland to major countries in the Middle East reached 167.9 percent. This included 41 flights from the Chinese mainland to Iran and 16 flights to Israel. Based on a Flight Master DAST AI query, there were no flights from the Chinese mainland to Israel on Saturday, and all flights from the Chinese mainland to Israel scheduled for March 1, local time, have been cancelled, the Global Times learned from the platform.

As of 4:40 pm Beijing Time on February 28, there were 2 flights scheduled from the Chinese mainland to Iran for February 28, currently in a planned status, the platform said.

The Airport Authority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has stated that three departure flights have been canceled on February 28 and March 1, and three flights to Dubai and Riyadh have been delayed, Now News reported.

On February 28, China Eastern Airlines told the Global Times that to assist passengers affected by the recent security situation in the Middle East in properly arranging their itineraries and ensuring related passenger service guarantees, it has formulated special ticketing regulations for routes involving Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Muscat. The airline will process refunds for passengers with flights departing between February 28 and March 15.

At least eight states declared their airspace closed as the conflict erupted, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, according to media reports.

The disruption caused global airlines to cancel or divert flights from destinations across the Middle East, which has become an important route for flights between Europe and Asia.

Among other airlines announcing suspensions to destinations in the region were Lufthansa, Air France, Iberia, Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic, KLM, British Airways, Aegean Airlines, Indigo, Japan Airlines and Scandinavian Airlines, according to Al Jazeera.

Dubai International Airport, the biggest global hub, has suspended flights as well. Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai due to multiple regional airspace closures, the airline said on February 28, according to Gulf News.

Global Times