Global Air Travel Faces Widespread Disruptions Amid Middle East Conflict

Global air travel remains severely disrupted after the war in Iran forced the ‌closure of major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, stranding tens of thousands of passengers. Below is the latest on flights:

Greece’s largest carrier, Aegean Airlines, has canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut and Amman until April 22, and to Irbil and Baghdad until May 24. Dubai flights are suspended until April 19, while flights to Riyadh are halted until April 18. Latvia’s airBaltic said all flights to Tel Aviv will remain canceled until April 29, with Dubai flights suspended until October 24. Air Canada has halted its Tel Aviv routes until May 2 and Dubai flights until March 28. Spain’s Air Europa has canceled all Tel Aviv flights until April 10.

The Air France KLM group announced that Air France flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut are canceled until March 28, while Dubai and Riyadh departures are suspended until March 24, including the March 25 Dubai flight. KLM flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai are halted until May 17, with Tel Aviv flights suspended until April 11. Cathay Pacific has extended cancellations to and from Dubai and Riyadh until May 31, though it will operate extra flights to London, Paris and Zurich to meet demand.

U.S. carrier Delta has canceled New York-Tel Aviv flights until May 31, with Tel Aviv-New York services paused until June 1. The Atlanta-Tel Aviv route will resume in early August. Israeli airline El Al has limited operations due to constraints but is coordinating efforts to return stranded passengers and is urging authorities to open Ramon Airport near Eilat.

In the UAE, Emirates and Etihad Airways are running reduced schedules following partial reopening of regional airspace. Finnair has canceled Dubai flights until March 29 and Doha flights until July 2 while avoiding airspace over Iraq, Iran, Syria and Israel. Saudi budget airline Flynas has suspended flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Syria until March 31.

Other affected carriers include British Airways, Indigo, Japan Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa Group, Malaysia Airlines, Norwegian Air, Pegasus, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, SunExpress, Vietnam Airlines, and Wizz Air. Routes to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Amman, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, and surrounding Middle Eastern cities have been either delayed or suspended, with many airlines introducing alternative flights to European and Asian hubs.

Airlines are working to accommodate stranded passengers, though uncertainty over regional security continues to disrupt schedules. Travelers are urged to check updates directly with their carriers as flight resumptions remain tentative.