Since the conflict erupted in Iran over a month ago, air travel has faced severe and ongoing disruptions. Major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, were forced to close temporarily when the situation first escalated. Now, global air travel continues to experience chaos, with carriers cancelling flights to the region several months in advance.
Airline Flight Cancellations and Adjustments
Numerous airlines have implemented extensive cancellations and schedule changes. Cathay Pacific, based in Hong Kong, has cancelled routes to various hubs in the region and increased flights to European destinations like London, Paris, and Zurich to meet rising demand.
European and North American Carriers
Aegean Airlines, Greece's largest carrier, has cancelled flights to Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Amman until April 30, with routes to Erbil, Baghdad, and Dubai suspended until May 31. Airbaltic, based in Latvia, has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until May 31 and slashed routes to Dubai until October 24.
Air Canada has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until September 7. Air Europa has suspended flights to Tel Aviv until May 3. The Air France-KLM group has seen Air France suspend Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh flights until April 19, while KLM has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Riyadh, Dammam, and Dubai until May 17.
Middle Eastern and Asian Airlines
Emirates and Etihad Airways are operating reduced schedules, with Etihad maintaining services between Abu Dhabi and around 80 destinations. Finnair has slashed Doha flights until July 2 and is avoiding the airspace of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Israel, with plans to restart Dubai flights in October.
Flynas, the Saudi budget airline, has suspended flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Syria until April 15. IAG has extended cancellations to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai, and Tel Aviv until May 31, and to Doha until April 30, while adding flights to Bangkok, Singapore, and the Maldives.
Japan Airlines has suspended Tokyo-Doha flights until April 10 and Doha-Tokyo flights until April 11. Malaysia Airlines has suspended all flights to Doha until June 14. Qatar Airways plans to gradually increase flights to over 120 destinations by mid-May.
Additional Global Carriers
LOT, the Polish airline, has suspended all flights to Tel Aviv until May 31, with cancellations to Riyadh until June 30 and Beirut from March 31 to May 30. The Lufthansa Group, including carriers like Lufthansa and Swiss, has cancelled flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until May 31, with routes to other hubs scrapped until October 24.
Norwegian Air has delayed launches of Tel Aviv and Beirut services to June 15 and cancelled Dubai flights through April 8. Pegasus Airlines has cancelled flights to multiple Middle Eastern destinations until May 1. Qantas is adding flights to Rome and Paris to meet European demand.
Singapore Airlines has extended the suspension of Singapore-Dubai flights until May 31, while increasing services on other routes. Skybus has cancelled flights between Cornwall and London due to fuel cost rises. Turkish Airlines has cancelled most Middle East flights until the end of March, with SunExpress suspending services to Dubai and Bahrain.
Wizz Air has suspended flights to Israel until April 13 and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman from European destinations until mid-September, with all flights to Medina suspended indefinitely.
This widespread disruption highlights the ongoing impact of regional conflicts on global aviation, forcing airlines to adapt with cancellations and rerouted services to maintain operations.
