Airlines worldwide are suspending more flights to additional Middle Eastern destinations as the war’s extent broadens on its fourth day.
The disruptions following Iran’s initial retaliatory strike are now affecting the region, resulting in over 12,300 flight cancellations, including at key transfer hubs like Dubai and Doha, Bloomberg reported, citing Flightradar24.
The cancellations will have a lasting impact because they disrupt aircraft schedules and misplace crew members. Tens of thousands of passengers are stranded, leading many airlines to operate special evacuation flights.
The UAE is beginning to establish what it calls safe air corridors, signaling a slight improvement in the situation. These corridors will allow up to 48 flights per hour, according to the economy ministry. Over 80 additional flights are planned, with a capacity to carry more than 27,000 passengers, the report said, citing the ministry.
List of airlines that have announced adjustments to regional flight schedules:
Air France-KLM
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has suspended the remaining flights for the winter season to and from Tel Aviv starting Sunday. Additionally, it has paused flights to and from Dammam and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, as well as Dubai, until March 9, according to a notice published on its website.
British Airways
The airline canceled flights to Amman, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv through Tuesday.
Cathay Pacific
Services to and from Dubai and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the airspace remains open, are canceled until 14 March.
Delta Airlines
Flights between New York and Tel Aviv are suspended through March 8.
EasyJet
The budget airline canceled Tuesday flights to Cyprus following drones striking the UK’s Royal Air Force base there.
Emirates
The world’s largest international airline extended the suspension of flights to and from Dubai until March 4.
Emirates has canceled over 2,000 flights since Saturday, marking some of the most serious disruptions ever for an airline that prides itself on 24/7 operations and resilience.
Although the airline has begun some limited operations to evacuate people from Dubai, regular commercial flights are cancelled.
Etihad
Extended its suspension of operations until Thursday.
Lufthansa Group
All of its airlines have canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Jordan, Erbil, Iraq, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and Tehran until March 8.
The group also will not use the airspace over Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, and Iran until 8 March.
Flights to and from Dubai are halted until March 4, and the UAE’s airspace will remain unused during this period.
Oman Air
It extended its cancellations to multiple destinations across the region, including Dammam, Saudi Arabia, where Iran targeted a Saudi Aramco facility on Tuesday.
Qatar Airways
All operations remain halted until further notice.
Russia
According to the report citing the nation’s Transport Ministry, 24 flights from the United Arab Emirates and Oman to Russia are scheduled for Tuesday by both Russian and international airlines. These flights will transport approximately 4,500 passengers to destinations including Moscow, Kazan, Mineralnye Vody, and Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk.
Virgin Atlantic
The airline had previously suspended flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh starting February 28 Tuesday. “This remains a fast-moving and unpredictable situation, and further cancellations or schedule changes may be likely over the coming days,” the airline said on its website.
