More than 6,000 flights have been cancelled worldwide as rising tensions in the Middle East disrupt global air travel.The cancellations come amid escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, with airlines forced to suspend routes and avoid large parts of the region’s airspace.According to flight tracking platform FlightAware, around 2,800 flights were cancelled on Saturday alone, followed by a further 3,156 and 1,239 cancellations in the following periods.Major Middle Eastern carriers appear to be among the hardest hit. Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Qatar Airways have all recorded significant disruptions, with Emirates reportedly the worst affected after cancelling at least 485 flights.The widespread cancellations are already impacting travellers globally. In Dubai, authorities have instructed hotels to support passengers stranded by delays and cancellations.Some reports suggest the scale of disruption is among the most severe seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the growing knock-on effects geopolitical tensions can have on international travel.With instability continuing in the region, further flight disruptions are expected in the coming days.•