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Cirium
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Cirium

London aviation-analytics firm, part of RELX, whose flight-cancellation data tracks Gulf air disruption.

Last refreshed: 20 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

How many flights did the Iran conflict cancel in the first four days?

Timeline for Cirium

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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. Its schedule and cancellation datasets are a standard reference point whenever regional airspace disruption needs a quantified baseline, whether that disruption is weather, a carrier collapse, or a war.

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 mid-June Islamabad Ceasefire briefly stabilised Gulf air traffic, but its collapse in late June and the renewed strikes on Kuwaiti and Jordanian infrastructure through 18-20 July pushed disruption back toward the pattern Cirium first quantified in March. The US State Department widened its worldwide travel advisory on 18 July, citing the same risk of further flight cancellations and periodic airspace closures that Cirium's data had been tracking since the war's opening days .

Common Questions
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, nearly tenfold the level 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.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
Why did the US widen its travel warning in July 2026?
The State Department updated its worldwide advisory on 18 July, citing the risk of further flight cancellations and periodic airspace closures as strikes on Kuwait and Jordan resumed after the June Ceasefire broke down.Source: US State Department