Middle East flights are being disrupted as airlines adjust operations in response to ongoing regional conflicts. British Airways has announced a temporary reduction of its services across the region, cancelling all flights to and from Abu Dhabi until later this year. Flights to Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv are paused until later this month. The airline has continued repatriation flights to help stranded passengers return home, but following final services from Muscat to London Heathrow on 11 and 12 March, operations will pause due to reduced demand. British Airways said it is monitoring the situation closely.
Qatar Airways is maintaining limited repatriation flights to and from Hamad International Airport in Doha, following temporary corridors approved by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. These flights do not signal a full resumption of scheduled services but are intended to support passengers during the disruption. Departures from Doha in mid-March include Cairo, Toronto, Dallas/Fort Worth, London Heathrow, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Delhi, Jeddah, Muscat, Hong Kong, Seoul, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Melbourne. Arrivals to Doha include the same major hubs along with Casablanca, Johannesburg, Sao Paulo, New York, Beijing, Islamabad, Colombo, Jakarta, and Manila. Reports suggest up to 8,000 passengers were stranded in Qatar, with government support covering hotel costs and visa extensions.
Oman Air has played a central role in relief operations from Muscat International Airport. Over the past week, it operated nearly 80 extra flights, transporting more than 97,000 passengers home. The airline is adding extra frequencies where possible and providing bus services for those crossing from the UAE to Oman for onward flights. Most of Oman Air’s international network to Europe, South-East Asia, and Africa remains operational, although flights to Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad, and Khasab were cancelled from 9-15 March.
In the UAE, Emirates expects to return to full flight capacity in the coming days after partial reopening of regional airspace, while Etihad Airways has resumed a limited schedule from Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, serving more than 70 destinations between 6 and 19 March. Air Arabia is operating a small number of flights from Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al Khaimah to over 40 destinations, pending regulatory approval.
Other carriers are also adjusting schedules. Air India and Air India Express operate limited flights to West Asia, including Jeddah and Muscat, while Virgin Atlantic has suspended seasonal Dubai services and paused Riyadh flights for two weeks. Saudia extended flight suspensions to Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Bahrain until 12 March. Gulf Air continues temporary suspensions until Bahrain Civil Aviation confirms safe airspace. Wizz Air has halted flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until 15 March, while Turkish Airlines cancelled services to multiple Middle East destinations including Bahrain, Dammam, Riyadh, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, and the UAE.
European airlines are responding to regional airspace closures as well. Air France has suspended flights to Dubai and Riyadh until 12 March and to Tel Aviv and Beirut until 13 March. KLM is not operating flights through Iran, Iraq, Israel, and parts of the Gulf, suspending Tel Aviv flights for the winter season and Dubai flights until 11 March. Lufthansa Group airlines, including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, and Eurowings, have extended cancellations to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Amman, Erbil, Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Tehran through mid-March and late April. Air Canada has suspended all flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv, planning a restart on 23 March. Indonesia’s Garuda Indonesia has temporarily suspended Doha flights until further notice.
Airlines across the Middle East continue to manage unprecedented disruptions. The combination of regional conflict, airspace restrictions, and repatriation efforts is forcing carriers to balance safety, logistics, and the urgent needs of stranded passengers. Passengers are advised to monitor airline updates closely as the situation evolves.
