Middle East air travel faces a brief thaw amid ongoing global aviation upheaval. Over the past two days, several international carriers based in the United Arab Emirates have tentatively resumed a limited number of services, offering a glimmer of relief to travelers caught in the region’s flight disruptions tied to the US-Israel and Iran conflict.
Etihad Airways and Emirates, along with Flydubai, announced they would operate a small slate of flights from the UAE as air traffic gradually reopens after a Saturday suspension. Dubai authorities advised travelers to proceed to airports only if they had been contacted directly, describing the restart as a “limited resumption of operations.” Flight tracking services show that the majority of Dubai and Abu Dhabi routes remained canceled—more than 80% of Dubai’s flights and over half of Abu Dhabi’s were grounded, according to FlightAware.
Flightradar24 highlighted that more than 2,000 flights to and from seven Gulf hubs were canceled over the weekend, including Dubai International, Hamad International (Doha), Zayed (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah, Kuwait International, Bahrain International, and Dubai World Central (Al Maktoum).
First signs of life from Etihad and Emirates
On Monday, Etihad carried out at least 15 flights from Abu Dhabi to destinations such as Islamabad, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Cairo, and London Heathrow to help evacuate stranded passengers, though regular commercial services remained suspended. Etihad noted that some repositioning, cargo, and repatriation flights might operate in coordination with UAE authorities under strict safety approvals, and commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi were still paused until 2 p.m. local time on Wednesday, March 4.
Emirates also began a limited flight schedule on Monday evening. The airline stated that it would prioritize travelers with earlier bookings and those rebooked onto the few available services, with direct outreach to affected customers. Dubai Airports confirmed a cautious restart, allowing a small number of flights to operate from Dubai International and Dubai World Central.
Notable departures included Emirates UAE500 to Mumbai at 6:15 p.m. CET and UAE542 to Chennai, observed by reporters tracking movements. While these initial flights kicked off, some Emirates and Flydubai services remained in scheduling limbo as the situation stayed fluid. As Emirates flights resumed, observers noted heavy public attention; UAE500’s takeoff drew tens of thousands of viewers on tracking platforms.
On Tuesday, Emirates dispatched five A380s to destinations including Jeddah, Manchester, Paris, London, and Frankfurt. Flydubai indicated it would operate four departures and five arrivals on Monday, emphasizing ongoing coordination with authorities to enable a gradual return while adapting to a dynamic security situation.
Impact and broader context
With air travel severely constrained across the Middle East, the weekend conflict left hundreds of thousands stranded in hotels, airports, and on ships as flights to and from the region halted. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha—three critical gateways linking Europe, Africa, and Asia—were directly affected by Saturday attacks. In addition to travelers, transit passengers on multi-leg itineraries faced widespread delays and cancellations.
Qatar’s Hamad International remained closed to movement aligned with the temporary halt of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways indicated it would resume services only after the civil aviation authority clears safe airspace, with an update expected by Wednesday morning local time (7 a.m. CET).
Airlines respond with selective resumption and caution
Across the globe, several carriers from the Indian subcontinent and beyond announced limited reactivations to assist stranded travelers and gradually reestablish regional ties:
- IndiGo announced four return trips to Jeddah as part of normalization steps between India and Saudi Arabia.
- Air India Express planned to resume flights to Muscat, though services to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE remained suspended.
- Akasa Air indicated it would operate select flights to Jeddah.
- Oman Air canceled all flights to Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, plus several European destinations for March 3, while other routes proceeded with expected delays.
- Saudia suspended flights to Amman, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Moscow, and Peshawar through March 4.
- Wizz Air temporarily halted all services to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman, and Saudi Arabia through March 7.
- Turkish Airlines canceled routes to Bahrain, Dammam, Riyadh, and a broad list including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, and the UAE.
- Air France suspended trips to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh through March 5.
- KLM, Lufthansa Group, Finnair, Norwegian, Delta, American, Air Canada, and others adjusted or paused operations through early March, with varying windows for free changes or refunds.
What this means for travelers and the region
The unfolding situation underscores how quickly air travel can shift when geopolitics intersect with aviation safety. Even as a few flights resume, most routes in and out of the Gulf remain canceled or tightly scheduled, leaving many passengers in limbo. The reopening is likely to be gradual and contingent on security assessments, with carriers continuing to adapt schedules in real time.
Thoughtful questions for readers
As this volatile situation evolves, what balance should airlines strike between caution and the public demand for travel freedom? Do you think the temporary resumption of flights is a meaningful sign of stabilization, or is it a risky rollback that could be undermined by further incidents? Share your views on how these disruptions should be managed and what safeguards you’d want to see in place.
