Airspace across several parts of the Middle East continues to be restricted after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran over the weekend, prompting retaliatory attacks and widespread aviation precautionary measures. Gulf states, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, introduced temporary airspace restrictions, while Iran, Israel and Iraq imposed closures or operational limits.
Flights are gradually resuming through controlled aviation corridors in parts of the region, as authorities manage the disruption. Limited departures have resumed from Dubai International Airport (DXB), Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) and Zayed International Airport (AUH), with passengers contacted directly by their airlines if they have been rebooked onto confirmed flights. The UAE's major airlines, Emirates and Etihad, are now operating with a limited schedule, with more routes expected to be added over the coming days.
Here’s what travellers with Middle East flights booked need to know right now.
This article was updated with the latest information on Thursday, 12 March 2026
All airlines with flights into airports in closed or restricted airspace are currently affected, including routes headed for Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, Bahrain International Airport, Doha's Hamad International Airport, Kuwait International Airport, Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport and Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.
Emirates: Emirates is now operating a limited flight schedule, with flights bookable to 75 destinations, at the time of writing. These flights will run in addition to the limited number of repatriation and cargo flights already operating, which continue to give priority to customers with existing bookings. The airline says it expects to resume flights to 100 per cent of its network in the coming days, subject to the situation. Passengers should not travel to the airport unless contacted directly by Emirates or holding a confirmed booking on an operating flight. Transit passengers will not be accepted unless it has been confirmed that their onward flight is operating. The airline says it is monitoring the situation closely and will update schedules accordingly.
Etihad Airways: Etihad has resumed operating with a limited schedule to 70 destinations, which is in place until 19 March. Tickets are now on sale via the Etihad website to several destinations across the globe, with additional destinations set to be added as “conditions permit”. These flights will run in addition to flights for passengers who have been stranded since Saturday. Passengers with Etihad flight tickets issued on or before 28 February 2026, for travel scheduled up to 10 March 2026, may change their booking without a rebooking fee on Etihad-operated flights departing up to 31 March 2026.
Qatar Airways: Qatar Airways has announced a limited number of flights to and from Doha. The flights are scheduled for March 11, 12 and 13 with a range of international departures and destinations including Cairo, Casablanca, New York, Frankfurt, Madrid, London and Mumbai. For the full list of airports, see the Qatar Airways website. The temporary schedule is being offered to “passengers who have been affected by the current disruption, and to help them reunite with family and friends as quickly and safely as possible" and “do not constitute a confirmation of the resumption of scheduled commercial operations," Qatar Airways said in a statement on Monday, March 9.
Flydubai: flydubai has resumed operations with a limited schedule. These flights are open for booking and will run alongside flights repatriating stranded travellers. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport unless contacted directly or holding a confirmed booking. Customers booked to travel between 28 February and 31 March may rebook on an alternative flight to the same destination, up to 30 days from the original travel date, with no penalty charges.
Oman Air: Oman's state-owned flag carrier has cancelled flights to and from Amman (AMM), Dubai (DXB), Bahrain (BAH), Doha (DOH), Dammam (DMM), Kuwait (KWI), Copenhagen (CPH), Baghdad (BGW), and Khasab (KHS) from Monday, 9 March until Sunday, 15 March when another update will be provided.
Air Arabia: Air Arabia has started operating a limited number of flights to and from the UAE, subject to operational and regulatory approvals. Tickets are now available to book through the Air Arabia website. Passengers whose flights were previously cancelled may also rebook if they have not yet used their modification or refund option. Passengers whose flights remain cancelled will be notified, and the following rebooking and refund options will apply.
British Airways: British Airways has cancelled all flights between London Heathrow and Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv up to and including 28 March. Its daily flight between London and Abu Dhabi has been suspended until later this year. “We’re keeping the situation under constant review and are in touch with our customers to offer them a range of options,” the airline said in a statement posted on Tuesday, 10 March, adding there was limited availability on repatriation flights from Muscat to London on Wednesday, 11 and Thursday, 12 March.
Gulf Air: Gulf Air has confirmed that all inbound, outbound and transit flights will remain suspended indefinitely, while Bahraini airspace remains closed. The airline said services will resume once Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs confirms that it is safe to reopen operations. The state-owned carrier has safely transported its fleet away from Bahrain International Airport to alternative airports.
Lufthansa: German carrier Lufthansa is suspending all flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi until Sunday, 15 March. Flights to and from Amman and Erbil are also suspended until 15 March, while flights to Beirut are suspended until 28 March. Flights to Tehran are suspended until 30 April.
Virgin Atlantic: British carrier Virgin Atlantic has suspended its flight route from London to Dubai for the rest of the winter. With the seasonal route meant to be running until March 28, the airline put out a statement on Sunday, 8 March saying: “The recent escalation in the Middle East has brought forward the end of our operation for this season.” Those with tickets for Virgin flights are advised to contact the airline as their teams are “actively working to support those who still need to travel, including exploring and securing arrangements with other airlines wherever possible.”
Norwegian: Budget carrier Norwegian has cancelled all flights up to and including Friday, 20 March. “This is a provisional decision, and further changes may be made,” it said in a statement on its website. “Affected passengers will be informed directly using the contact details provided in their booking. Rebooking options are currently limited, and where we are unable to offer an alternative journey, a refund may be used as a solution”.
Air India: Air India and Air India Express has begun operating a limited number of flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Salalah. The majority of these flights are operating on an ah-hoc basis, and are not following the airline's regular schedle. Flights to Jeddah and Muscat are running as scheduled. Passengers with confirmed bookings from February 28 to March 10 can reschedule cancelled flights free of charge or opt for a full refund.
KLM: Dutch airline KLM has cancelled all flights to Dubai up until and including Saturday, 28 March. In a statement issued on Wednesday, 11 March, the airline said: “Due to ongoing unrest in the Middle East, KLM has decided to cancel all flights to Dubai up to and including March 28. “The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority. We understand that this decision has a significant impact on our travellers and are doing everything possible to keep them well-informed. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled will be notified and can rebook their tickets free of charge or request a refund.” The airline also announced it would not be flying to Riyadh and Dammam up to and including Thursday, 12 March.
SalamAir: Oman's SalamAir is putting on flights between Fujairah International Airport and Muscat, with connecting journey's to Lucknow, Calicut, Hyderabad, Istanbul, Karachi and Cairo. Tickets should be purchased directly from the airline's website or an authorised travel agency.
Kuwait Airways: Commercial arrivals and departures at Kuwait International Airport (KWI) are currently on hold. Kuwaiti citizens with existing bookings with the airline are being flown to Jeddah as part of an emergency repatriation plan. From Saudi Arabia, passengers are required to complete the final leg of their journey to Kuwait by land.
Air Canada: Air Canada has announced it will cease operating flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until Sunday, 22 March “due to the military situation in the Middle East”.
The United Arab Emirates has partially reopened its airspace, a limited number of repatriation flights currently operating from the country's main airports. Dubai Airports, the authority that oversees both Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC), are operating a small number of flights. Passengers are urged to not go to the airport unless they have been directly contacted by their airline about rebooking.
Qatar has partially reopened its airspace to allow a limited number of repatriation flights to take place.
Iran, Iraq and Israel have also closed their airspace, alongside Bahrain.
Kuwait has also closed its airspace, and has reported a drone attack on its airport. In a statement published by the Public Authority for Civil Aviation, it was confirmed that the attack caused “minor injuries to several employees and limited material damage to Terminal 1”.
Saudi Arabia's airspace is also impacted, although not all flights have been grounded. “Passengers travelling to destinations impacted by ongoing events are urged to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight updates before leaving for the airport,” King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Jeddah Airports and Dammam Airports advised.
The impact has widened to include major regional hubs and key transit corridors:
The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced airspace closures as a “precautionary measure”. The "exceptional precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of flights and aircrews, and safeguarding the UAE’s territory", it said.
The European Union Aviation Safety Authority on Saturday issued an advisory to European carriers, advising against operating in affected airspaces at “all flight levels and altitudes”.
In a statement, it advised carriers to “closely monitor airspace developments in the region and follow all available aeronautical publications concerning the region, including information shared through the European Information Sharing and Cooperation Platform on Conflict Zones, alongside available guidance or direction from their national authorities”.
Travellers should expect a range of practical disruptions, including:
Airlines are offering refunds and flexible rebooking options, though policies vary by carrier.
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