Etihad Airways and Emirates are set to resume a limited number of special flights from the UAE on Monday evening, offering a glimmer of hope for stranded passengers. The move comes after three days of widespread cancellations across the Middle East, following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Most Gulf airports and airlines have suspended normal operations until at least 10:00 GMT on Tuesday.
According to aviation analysts Cirium, almost 1,700 flights to the Middle East had been cancelled by Monday morning, though the figure is likely an underestimate due to limited data from Iran and the UAE. Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 reported that airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar remained virtually empty on Monday.
The disruption has stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers globally, with major hubs like Dubai closed for a third consecutive day. Airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Air India have cancelled or diverted services. EasyJet also cancelled flights between Cyprus and the UK after a drone hit an RAF base in Akrotiri.
Analysts describe the shutdown of all three major Gulf transit hubs—Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha—for over 24 hours as unprecedented. The chaos has hit travel stocks, with Tui shares falling 9% and IAG down 5%. Some carriers are offering refunds or free changes for affected travellers.
For those able to afford it, private jets from Saudi Arabia offer an escape route, with costs up to $350,000 (£260,000) for flights to Europe. The situation remains fluid, with Donald Trump indicating US military action could last another four weeks.
