The financial and logistical problems that the war in Iran has caused to global aviation are getting worse every day, with the number of canceled flights to Middle Eastern hubs already exceeding 23,000 since the fighting began.
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, extended the suspension of flights to Dubai until the end of Saturday (7), completing a week since the US and Israel launched the joint attack. Qatar Airways has extended the suspension of its services until Friday (6).
Of the 36,000 flights scheduled to or from the Middle East since February 28, more than half have been cancelled, analysis firm Cirium reported on Wednesday (4). This equates to around 4.4 million seats.
Thousands of passengers were stranded in the Gulf region, forcing many to seek alternative, longer and more expensive routes to reach operating airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman. The United Arab Emirates is creating safe air corridors to allow up to 48 flights per hour, according to the Economy Ministry.
Below is a list of companies that have announced adjustments to their flights in the region:
Air India
- The company is adding extra flights.
- Between March 5 and 11, it operates three additional flights between Delhi and Toronto.
- Between March 7th and 10th, three extra flights between Delhi and Frankfurt and one extra between Delhi and Paris.
- Flights from Delhi and Mumbai connect in Jeddah on March 5.
- Air India said it is considering expanding extra flights after March 11, in response to high demand and loss of supply from Middle Eastern airlines.
Air France-KLM
- Air France has suspended flights to/from Dubai and Riyadh until March 6, and to/from Tel Aviv and Beirut until March 8, according to the company’s website on Wednesday.
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has suspended, from Sunday, all winter season flights to/from Tel Aviv.
- It also halted flights to/from Dammam and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai until March 6, according to a statement on the website.
British Airways
- Suspended flights to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv.
- The company added daily flights between London and Muscat, Oman, on Friday and Saturday, after already offering the service on Thursday. Everyone is full.
Cathay Pacific
- It canceled flights to/from Dubai and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — where airspace remains open — until March 14.
China Southern
- Flights between Dubai and Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shenzhen and Urumqi are canceled until March 5, the company said on its WeChat account.
- Services between Riyadh and Shenzhen, Guangzhou are also suspended, as are flights between Doha and Beijing, Guangzhou.
- According to Subramania Bhatt, CEO of China Trading Desk, Chinese passengers have canceled more than 77,000 trips to the UAE in recent days, representing at least US$170 million in lost tourism spending.
Delta Air Lines
- Flights between New York and Tel Aviv are suspended until at least March 22, according to the company’s website.
Emirates
- The world’s largest international company has extended the suspension of flights to/from Dubai until March 7th.
- Emirates has canceled more than 2,000 flights since Saturday, one of the highest levels of disruption ever recorded by the company, which prides itself on operating 24 hours a day.
- Although the company has started some limited operations to take passengers out of Dubai, regular commercial flights remain cancelled.
Etihad
- Extended the suspension of flights to Abu Dhabi until March 6.
- A limited number of repositioning, freighter and repatriation flights continue to operate.
Finnair
- Flights between Helsinki and Doha are suspended until at least March 6, although Qatari airspace remains completely closed to traffic.
- Operations to/from Dubai are canceled until March 28th.
IndiGo
- The Indian low-cost airline started flights to Athens, Muscat and Jeddah and Madinah, in Saudi Arabia.
- It is also operating some repatriation flights to the United Arab Emirates, it said in a social media post on Wednesday.
Korean Air
- Flights to Dubai are suspended until March 7.
Lufthansa Group
- All group companies have suspended flights to Tel Aviv; Beirut; Amman (Jordan); Erbil (Iraq); and Tehran until March 8.
- The group will also stop flying over Israeli airspace; Lebanon; Jordan; Iraq; Qatar; Kuwait; Bahrain; Dammam, Saudi Arabia; and Iran until March 8.
- Flights to/from Dubai and Abu Dhabi are suspended until March 6, and UAE airspace will not be used until that date.
- Lufthansa will carry out an evacuation flight via Oman on the night of March 4th to 5th, at the request of the German government, with an Airbus A340-300.
Malaysia Airlines
- Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia have resumed from Wednesday.
- Services to Doha remain suspended.
Oman Air
- Flights to/from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab are canceled until March 6, according to a post on X.com.
- The company recommends that passengers with flights in Muscat arrive at the border at least 12 hours in advance, due to crowding.
Qantas
- Qantas is operating a charter flight between Sydney and London Heathrow via Singapore on March 7.
Qatar Airways
- Operations from its base in Doha remain suspended indefinitely; the company said it will provide an update on Friday morning.
- Qatar Airways will operate a limited number of relief flights from March 5 for stranded passengers, from Muscat (Oman) to London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam, and from Riyadh to Frankfurt.
Russia
- President Vladimir Putin has ordered ministries and agencies to organize evacuation flights from the Middle East.
- Aeroflot plans two flights back to Russia from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for passengers whose flights were canceled on February 28, the company said on Telegram.
- The Transport Ministry said more than 7,000 people were expected to be transported on Wednesday by Russian and foreign airlines.
Singapore Airlines
- Flights to Dubai are canceled until March 7th.
SpiceJet
- The Indian low-cost airline is operating around 20 special flights from the United Arab Emirates to India.
- There are 19 flights between March 5 and 7 from Fujairah to Mumbai and Delhi.
- A flight on March 5 from Dubai to Mumbai.
Virgin Atlantic
- The company is resuming flights to Dubai and Riyadh from London, after having suspended them until March 3.
© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.
