Airports Closed, CBSE Cancels Board Exams: What Is Happening In The Middle East After Iran Attack?
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Last Updated:March 01, 2026, 17:28 IST
The CBSE cancelled board examinations scheduled for March 2 in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The new dates will be announced later.
resetRapid ReadRapid ReadSummarized by AI.+CBSE cancels March 2 board exams in some Middle East countries.Flights disrupted after US and Israeli attacks on Iran.New exam dates for affected students will be announced later. More Rapid Read Like this summary?Share Your Feedback
Thousands of flights have been delayed or cancelled in the biggest disruption to global air transport since the Covid-19 pandemic as airlines suspended services to the Middle East following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), meanwhile, cancelled board examinations scheduled for Monday, March 2, in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The new dates will be announced later, it said.
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Travellers were left stranded at airports on both sides – origin and destination – after the coordinated strikes of the United States and Israel on Iran, which also killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday (February 28).
Here’s all you need to know:
MIDDLE EAST AIRPORTS CLOSED, THOUSANDS STRANDED
Flights across the Middle East and beyond were disrupted as countries around the region closed their airspace and key airports that connect Europe, Africa and the West to Asia were directly hit by strikes.
Airports in the Middle East remained closed. Emirates Airlines suspended all flights to and from Dubai until the afternoon. The Qatar airport was closed until at least Monday morning, March 2, as per Qatar Airways.
These closures have stranded tens of thousands of travellers around the world. They were either stranded or diverted to other airports after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace.
There was also no flight activity over the UAE, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said, after the government there announced a “temporary and partial closure" of its airspace. That led to the closure of key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, and the cancellation of more than 1,800 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines.
The three major airlines that operate at those airports – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad – typically have about 90,000 passengers per day crossing through those hubs and even more travellers headed to destinations in the Middle East, as per aviation analytics firm Cirium.
BOARD EXAMS CANCELLED IN MIDDLE EAST
The CBSE said board examinations for Classes 10 and 12, scheduled on Monday, March 2, in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have been cancelled while new dates will be announced later.
“Due to the current situation in parts of Middle East – Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE, the board has decided to postpone class 10, 12 exams on March 2," said CBSE examination controller Sanyam Bhardwaj, who said new dates will be announced later.
Bhardwaj said the board will review the situation on March 3 and decide on the examinations scheduled from March 5.
“The board will review the situation on March 3 and take appropriate decisions with regard to examination scheduled from March 5 onwards," he said.
100 INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS CANCELLED FROM DELHI AIRPORT
India designated much of the Middle East — including skies above Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon — as a high-security risk zone at all altitudes.
Air India cancelled all flights to Middle East destinations. In Delhi, at least 100 international flights were cancelled at the international airport on Sunday.
At least 60 international departures and 40 arrivals have been cancelled. “Due to the evolving political situation in the Middle East, west-bound international flights may experience disruptions or schedule changes," Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in a post on X.
The Delhi international airport is India’s largest airport, which handles more than 1,300 flight movements daily. Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East, as per the civil aviation ministry.
INDIA ASSURES VISA RELIEF TO STRANDED FOREIGNERS
In view of the massive flight cancellations, India asked foreign nationals in the country to approach relevant authorities for visa extensions.
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) issued an advisory for foreign nationals impacted by the travel disruptions. It urged them to contact their nearest foreigners regional registration office (FRRO) if they require assistance with visa extensions or need to regularise their stay.
“All foreign nationals in India, who have had to change their travel plans due to the ongoing developments in the West Asia region and need assistance with extension of their visa or to regularise their stay, are requested to contact the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office," the MEA said.
It said the FRROs concerned will extend assistance, but it is not immediately clear how many foreign tourists are stranded in India due to the flight cancellations. Hundreds of flights have been disrupted across the Middle East and in other countries, including India, due to airspace restrictions.
(With agency inputs)
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