Hundreds of travellers were left stranded at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Saturday night as the escalating conflict in the Middle East forced the immediate suspension of flights to Dubai.

The disconnection of the critical transit hub comes after a day of unprecedented military violence that has seen the United States and Israel launch a joint regime-change operation against Iran, codenamed "Roaring Lion" and "Operation Epic Fury".

The local impact was felt at 7:15 pm GMT on Saturday, 28 February 2026, when Emirates flight EK 788, scheduled to depart from Terminal 3, was officially cancelled. The grounding effectively severs one of Ghana's most vital links to Asia, Europe, and North America.

Airspace lockdown across the Gulf

The cancellation follows a domino effect of airspace closures across the Middle East. Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates have all shuttered their skies to commercial traffic following a barrage of Iranian retaliatory missile strikes aimed at U.S. military bases and regional targets.

Global flight tracking platforms confirmed that air corridors are virtually empty as airlines scramble to reroute or suspend services to avoid active combat zones.

The catalyst for the aviation chaos appears to be a massive coordinated strike on the Iranian capital, Tehran. U.S. President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to announce a seismic shift in the region's leadership, claiming that the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been eliminated.

Despite the U.S. claims, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi initially maintained that the Supreme Leader was "alive and steadfast."

In Dubai, an incident was reported at a building in the Palm Jumeirah area, with local civil defence teams working to control a resulting fire. The United Arab Emirates' air defence systems have reportedly been active, intercepting a wave of incoming drones and missiles.

With Dubai International Airport (DXB) operating under partial closure, Emirates has advised all passengers booked within the next 72 hours to monitor their flight status online.

“Airlines operating through the Gulf region are continuing to review their schedules as the security situation evolves,” the company noted. Passengers are being urged to contact their travel agents or the airline directly for rebooking or refund options.