Major Middle East carriers have ruled out resuming scheduled flights until at least Thursday, as the conflict between the US-Israeli forces and Iran continues. Etihad Airways suspended commercial services until 2pm local time on Thursday, while Emirates cancelled scheduled flights until midnight on Wednesday. Qatar Airways said its airspace remained closed for all flights, with a further update expected on Wednesday.
Repatriation flights have begun departing the United Arab Emirates, as governments work to extract citizens from the region. Etihad, Emirates, and FlyDubai are operating limited cargo and repatriation flights. Since Saturday, at least 11,000 flights have been cancelled, affecting over a million passengers, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The US State Department has called on Americans to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, due to safety risks. The UK is sending rapid deployment teams to support British nationals, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stating that 130,000 Britons have registered their presence in the region. About 24,000 Australian citizens are also stranded.
Analysts warn that long-haul fares may rise sharply due to the loss of capacity through Middle Eastern hubs. John Grant of OAG said, “The short-term loss of capacity through the Middle East clearly puts pressure on alternate routings… Selling fares are inevitably increasing and will stay that way until there is a settlement.”
Airspace closures remain in effect for Iran, Iraq, and Israel, with partial closures affecting Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Germany’s foreign ministry reported about 30,000 stranded tourists, while Tui, Europe’s largest holiday company, began repatriating 10,000 customers from Tuesday.
