U.S. warns: Don't travel Turkey
The U.S. State Department issued a new “Do Not Travel” warning for Turkey amid escalating conflict in the Middle East — travelers should monitor guidance and consider changing plans immediately []. Airspace restrictions and flight diversions across West Asia are causing phased service resumptions, and airlines serving Dubai (Air France, Air India, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Philippine Airlines, United) are offering flexible rebooking as routes restart [][].
On March 9, 2026 the State Department ordered the departure of non‑emergency U.S. government employees and family members from Consulate General Adana and the consulate suspended all consular services ([travel.state.gov)]. Regional airspace restrictions that began with partial closures on February 28, 2026 disrupted global routes, and industry trackers reported roughly 3,400 flights affected within a 24‑hour window as carriers reworked schedules ([blog.wego.com)]. Flight‑tracker mapping showed at least 65 aircraft bound for Dubai were diverted to alternate fields — including Dubai World Central, Abu Dhabi and Muscat — during a major diversion episode on March 16, 2026 ([dnyuz.com)]. A drone‑related explosion near Concourse A at Dubai International forced temporary suspension and a fuel‑tank fire during incidents reported on March 7 and again on March 16, 2026, prompting diversions to Al Ain and Muscat and on‑site shelter‑in‑place orders for terminal passengers ([travelpirates.com)]. Major Gulf carriers have begun phased resumptions: Emirates was operating a reduced schedule to about 110 destinations as of mid‑March 2026 while flydubai had restarted a limited network on March 5, 2026. ([timeoutdubai.com)] Authorities reported processing at least 30,913 travellers during the peak air‑traffic suspension, and some operators arranged bus transfers from Sharjah to Muscat on March 5, 2026 to move stranded passengers to operational flights ([gulfnews.com)]. The State Department’s Middle East “Global Events” page listed a 24/7 Task Force as of March 14, 2026 to assist U.S. citizens, and it directed Americans to contact the U.S. Embassy in Ankara or the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul after Adana’s operational changes were announced on March 9, 2026 ([travel.state.gov)].
