Cirium
Aviation analytics company tracking global flight data; cited the 40% Middle East cancellation rate during the Iran conflict.
Last refreshed: 30 March 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How many flights did the Iran conflict cancel in the first four days?
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- What is Cirium?
- Cirium is a London-based aviation data and analytics company, part of RELX Group, that tracks commercial flight schedules, cancellations, and on-time performance globally. Its data is used by airlines, insurers, and governments to monitor aviation disruption.Source: Cirium
- How many flights were cancelled in the Middle East during the Iran conflict?
- Cirium reported 13,000 of 32,000 scheduled regional flights cancelled in the first four days of the Iran conflict, representing 40% of all Middle East air traffic. That was up nearly tenfold from 1,560 cancellations reported 24 hours earlier.Source: Cirium
- What is the difference between Cirium and FlightRadar24?
- Cirium specialises in schedule, cancellation, and historical fleet analytics sold to airlines, insurers, and governments. FlightRadar24 is a consumer-facing real-time flight tracker. Cirium data underlies industry and policy decisions; FlightRadar24 serves public situational awareness.Source: Cirium
- Why did Middle East airlines cancel flights in March 2026?
- Airlines cancelled 40% of Middle East flights following the Iran conflict, driven by airspace closures and withdrawal of war-risk insurance cover. Cirium data showed the tenfold 24-hour acceleration reflected wholesale regional withdrawal rather than route-by-route risk decisions.Source: Cirium
Background
Cirium is an aviation data and analytics company headquartered in London, part of the RELX Group portfolio. It compiles real-time and historical data on commercial flight schedules, cancellations, on-time performance, and aircraft movements drawn from airline and airport feeds worldwide, supplying figures to media, insurers, governments, and the travel industry.
Cirium became the authoritative source for quantifying the airspace crisis triggered by the Iran conflict. Its data showed that 13,000 of 32,000 scheduled regional flights had been cancelled across the Middle East since the conflict began, representing 40% of all regional air traffic, a near-tenfold rise in 24 hours . That surge coincided with the indefinite closure of Ben Gurion Airport and the partial reopening of UAE airports as airlines executed wholesale regional withdrawal .
The tenfold cancellation surge in a single day revealed that airlines had crossed from tactical route adjustments to systemic withdrawal, driven by insurance market collapse rather than direct threat assessments. Cirium's figures gave policymakers and carriers a shared quantitative baseline for a fast-moving crisis, illustrating how data intermediaries shape collective responses to conflict.