India, March 4 -- The departure boards once flickered with holiday destinations and business hubs. Now, across parts of the Middle East, they flash cancellations, delays and uncertainty.

As missiles streak across skies and airspace closes with little warning, one of the world's busiest travel corridors has become a frontline of disruption.

The US-Israeli offensive dubbed "Operation Epic Fury", which killed Iran's ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, has rapidly expanded into a regional conflict affecting more than a dozen nations.

What began as a targeted strike has spiralled into drone attacks on airports, military bases and urban centres - unsettling global aviation and leaving travellers scrambling for answers.

In an unusua...