British Airways has cancelled all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv until later this month, the airline confirmed. The cancellations come as the conflict in Iran forces the closure of key Middle Eastern hubs, severely disrupting global air travel, according to multiple reports. British Airways has also scrapped flights to Doha until April 30 and will not run any flights to Dubai until June, though it plans to resume services to Riyadh in mid-May and to Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv on 1 July. However, there is conflicting information: the airline states it will not run flights to Dubai until June, but also plans to resume on 1 July; similarly, Doha flights are scrapped until April 30, but resumption is planned for 1 July. The airline will continue to serve Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, but has cut Jeddah permanently from the end of April. Flights to Abu Dhabi will resume on October 25 after suspension due to unrest.
Widespread airline cancellations and disruptions have affected carriers across the globe. KLM suspended flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai until March 28 and to Tel Aviv for the remainder of its winter season, the airline said. Aegean Airlines cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Erbil and Baghdad until March 29; flights to Dubai until March 28; and to Riyadh until March 27, according to the airline. Air Canada cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until May 2 and to Dubai until March 28, the airline said. Air Europa cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 20, according to the airline. Air India and Air India Express temporarily suspended all Dubai operations on March 16, the airlines said. Delta cancelled flights from New York to Tel Aviv until March 31 and from Tel Aviv to New York until April 1; Atlanta to Tel Aviv is paused until August 4 or 5, according to the airline. Finnair cancelled Dubai flights until March 29 and Doha flights until April 2, the airline said. WizzAir suspended all flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect up to and including 7 March, according to the airline. Cathay Pacific suspended all flights to and from Dubai until the end of next month, the airline said. Virgin Atlantic cancelled its Heathrow to Riyadh route, which launched on March 30, 2025, due to the war in Iran, according to the airline.
A drone attack near Dubai Airport caused further disruption. An Iranian drone hit a fuel tank near Dubai Airport, sparking a massive fire, according to multiple reports. Two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport, injuring four people, Dubai officials said. Emirates was forced to divert flights mid-air, with services from Heathrow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dublin returned to their departure points, according to the airline. Emirates expects to operate a limited Dubai schedule from March 16 after the incident, and is operating a reduced flight schedule with flights to Manchester, Birmingham, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Edinburgh, and Newcastle scheduled for this week, the airline said. The airline expects a fast return to normal operations.
Repatriation efforts are underway for stranded passengers. British Airways operated repatriation flights from Muscat, Oman to London Heathrow on 11 and 12 March, after which flights will pause due to reduced demand, the airline said. Qatar Airways continues to offer limited repatriation services to and from Doha after temporary flight corridors were authorised by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, according to the airline. Up to 8,000 passengers were reported to have been stranded in Qatar, with the government covering hotel costs and extending visas, according to multiple reports. Oman Air has operated almost 80 extra flights and helped more than 97,000 passengers get home, the airline said. More than 63,000 Britons have returned home from the UAE since the start of the conflict, according to government figures.
Amid the disruptions, British Airways has added two new destinations: Melbourne, Australia and Colombo, Sri Lanka, available to book from March 17, 2026, according to the airline. Flights from London Heathrow to Melbourne, with a stop in Kuala Lumpur, will operate daily from January 9, 2027. Flights from London Gatwick to Colombo will operate every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from October 23, 2026. British Airways will also increase frequency to Cape Town, Haneda, Bridgetown, Kingston, and San Jose.
British Airways is shifting its focus away from the Middle East towards India and Africa. The airline will cut some flights to the Middle East, favouring destinations such as India and Kenya, according to British Airways. It will limit flights to the Middle East to one daily from July, and has cut Jeddah permanently from the end of April. British Airways will add daily flights to Bengaluru, India and Nairobi, Kenya, and increase capacity on Delhi and Hyderabad routes.
Other airlines are also adjusting schedules. Etihad Airways resumed a limited commercial flight schedule between Abu Dhabi and key destinations, including scheduled services to London Heathrow and Manchester, following safety assessments, according to the airline. Qatar Airways suspended flights from and to Doha due to closure of Qatari airspace, according to the airline. Beond Airlines has suspended all summer flights on its Maldives and Europe routes, and services via Dubai, with no resumption expected until at least October, according to the airline. The airline removed a previous promise from its website that guaranteed business-class rebooking on alternative airlines, according to multiple reports.
Regulatory responses have emerged. Dubai has imposed flight restrictions on foreign airlines, limiting them to a single daily service to its airports until 31 May, according to Dubai Airports. The Federation of Indian Airlines has urged the Indian government to intervene, suggesting reciprocal measures against Dubai-based carriers.
Several uncertainties remain. The exact resumption date for British Airways flights to Dubai is unclear, with conflicting information: the airline plans to resume on 1 July, but also stated it will not run flights until June. Similarly, flights to Doha have been scrapped until April 30, but British Airways also plans to resume on 1 July. The number of passengers currently stranded in the Middle East due to flight cancellations has not been confirmed. The current status of airspace closures in Iran and Qatar remains unknown, and it is unclear if diplomatic efforts are underway to resolve the conflict and restore normal air travel.