Global air travel remains severely disrupted after the war in Iran forced the closure of key Middle Eastern hubs. Thousands of flights to and from the Middle East are facing serious disruption since late February following Iranian strikes across the region in retaliation to US and Israeli bombardment. The conflict in the region has forced many airlines operating in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha to either suspend or cancel their services, leaving many travellers stranded. Multiple airlines, including Aegean, airBaltic, Air Canada, Air Europa, Air France KLM, Air India, Cathay Pacific, Delta, El Al, Emirates, Etihad, and Finnair, have cancelled or suspended flights to various Middle Eastern destinations with specific dates.
British Airways has temporarily reduced its services across the Middle East region. The airline has cancelled all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv until later in March, and to Abu Dhabi until later in the year. According to the carrier, the new schedule reflects 9% growth in their long-haul route network. Britain's flag carrier confirmed it has extended the suspension of flights to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai, and Tel Aviv until May 31, and to Doha until April 30. It said the cancellations were due to continuing uncertainty and airspace instability in the Middle East. The airline announced it had cancelled all flights into Dubai until summer, and suspended travel to Amman, Bahrain, and Tel Aviv until after May 31, and to Doha until end of April, and Abu Dhabi until later in the year. British Airways has been operating repatriation flights to help stranded passengers return home. The airline's flights from Muscat to London Heathrow will pause after March 11-12 due to reduced demand. British Airways flights to Abu Dhabi will resume on October 25 after being suspended due to unrest in the Middle East. British Airways will continue to serve Riyadh and Jeddah, which have been less affected by airspace closures. A British Airways flight from Heathrow to Doha turned around and returned to London. British Airways will not run any flights to Dubai until June. British Airways pulled all services to five Middle Eastern destinations and Israel, citing instability in regional airspace. British Airways has paused its repatriation flights to the UK from Oman due to reduced demand.
Qatar Airways is offering limited repatriation services to and from Hamad International Airport in Doha after temporary flight corridors were authorized. Qatar Airways' repatriation flights do not constitute a confirmation of the resumption of scheduled commercial operations. Qatar Airways confirmed flights to and from Doha on specific dates in March, listing destinations for departures and arrivals. Up to 8,000 passengers were stranded in Qatar, with the government covering hotel costs and extending visas. A spokesman added that Qatar Airways would increase its number of flights from Wednesday, but operations are limited under current conditions. Qatar Airways said it suspended flights from and to Doha due to closure of Qatari airspace.
Authorities quickly took to social media to reassure the public, referring to the incident as a 'drone-related incident' causing minimal damage and no injuries.
Emirates was forced to divert flights mid-air, including from Heathrow, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Dublin. Since the strike, no major airline has resumed flights to Dubai. Emirates reached 369 flights on Sunday, about 70% of pre-conflict levels. Emirates is operating a reduced flight schedule, with flights to Manchester, Birmingham, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Edinburgh, and Newcastle scheduled for this week and available to book. Emirates will operate 11 daily flights across five airports, subject to ongoing airspace approvals. Etihad will begin operating limited flights from Abu Dhabi through this week following extensive safety and security assessments, including scheduled services to London Heathrow and Manchester.
Dubai has imposed flight restrictions limiting foreign airlines to one daily service to its airports until May 31. The restrictions threaten revenue losses for Indian airlines, which planned more flights to Dubai than any other nation. The Federation of Indian Airlines urged the Indian government to intervene and consider reciprocal measures against Dubai-based carriers. The restrictions were communicated in a private email from Dubai Airports on March 27, seen by Reuters. The FIA claimed the curbs are not applied to Dubai's airlines like Emirates and flydubai, creating an uneven playing field. India was the largest source of passengers for Dubai International Airport in 2025.
An Iranian drone hit a fuel tank near Dubai Airport, sparking a fire, diverting flights and closing roads. Authorities referred to the Dubai incident as a 'drone-related incident' causing minimal damage and no injuries. Iranian drone attacks have decreased in frequency but have struck airports, buildings, and ports in Dubai's financial centre. Two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport this morning, injuring four people.
A spokesman added that Qatar Airways would increase its number of flights from Wednesday, but operations are limited under current conditions.
Virgin Atlantic removed its Heathrow to Riyadh route due to disruption from the war in Iran. Virgin Atlantic's route to Riyadh launched on March 30, 2025, and was cancelled in phases, with final cancellation from April 7. Dave Geer, chief commercial officer at Virgin Atlantic, indicated that Virgin Atlantic will offer connectivity to Saudi Arabia through its partnership with Saudia. WizzAir, Qatar Airways, and Virgin Atlantic cancelled services to the region on Saturday. WizzAir suspended all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until March 7. KLM has canceled all flights to Dubai until 28 March due to ongoing geopolitical unrest in the Middle East. KLM remains available for the repatriation of stranded travellers, coordinated by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Cathay Pacific suspended all flights to and from Dubai until the end of next month.
Oman Air has operated almost 80 extra flights and helped more than 97,000 passengers get home, using Muscat as a transit point.
British Airways added Melbourne and Colombo as new destinations for winter 2026, with specific flight schedules. British Airways will increase flight frequency to Cape Town, Haneda, Bridgetown, Kingston, and San Jose. British Airways will cut some flights to the Middle East, favoring destinations like India and Kenya, and limit flights once resuming in July. British Airways will cut Jeddah as a destination permanently from end of April. British Airways plans to resume flights to Riyadh in mid-May, and to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv on July 1, but reduce services to one daily flight from July. British Airways will add daily flights to Bengaluru and Nairobi, and increase capacity on Delhi and Hyderabad routes. These changes will continue until October 24, with one Dubai service restarting on October 16. A British Airways spokesperson said the changes were due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
Qatar Airways said it suspended flights from and to Doha due to closure of Qatari airspace.
The Foreign Office issued travel warnings to UK nationals in Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait, and urged against all travel to Israel and Palestine. Over 63,000 Britons have returned home from the UAE since the start of the conflict.
Joint US-Israeli strikes in Iran began on February 28, and war has continued since. Iran's regime has launched drones and missiles at multiple countries and targets since the conflict.
This ongoing uncertainty presents significant coordination challenges for airlines attempting to maintain operations and assist stranded passengers. The exact criteria or approvals required for airlines to resume flights to Dubai under the current restrictions remain unclear. Similarly, the current status of Qatari airspace closure and when it will fully reopen for commercial flights has not been specified. Airlines and governments are navigating complex repatriation efforts, though the total number of passengers remaining stranded in the Middle East due to flight cancellations has not been confirmed.