Data compiled by passenger-rights platform AirHelp show that on 10 March at least 42 flights were cancelled and about 146 delayed across Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow. British Airways, EasyJet, Emirates and Air France were among the carriers affected. Airlines blamed knock-on effects from the Iran war, which has forced lengthy reroutes around closed Iranian and Iraqi airspace and intermittent restrictions over parts of the eastern Mediterranean. Extended flight times upset crew-duty rosters and aircraft rotations, cascading into peak UK departure banks. British Airways suspended services to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv until later in March, while operating limited repatriation flights from Muscat. Emirates thinned frequencies to UK hubs; other Gulf carriers followed suit, tightening onward options for business travellers to Asia and Australasia. Under EC 261 rules most passengers will not be entitled to cash compensation because the disruption stems from extraordinary circumstances, but they retain rights to rerouting, refunds and care. Corporate-travel teams are advised to monitor schedules daily and consider alternative routings via Istanbul or Singapore until Gulf corridor stability returns.
