A glimmer of hope emerges in the skies over the Middle East as a handful of airlines cautiously resume operations, offering a much-needed respite to travelers caught in the crossfire of global aviation chaos.
Amid the ongoing conflict between the US-Israel and Iran, long-haul carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates, along with budget carrier Flydubai, have announced the resumption of select flights from the United Arab Emirates. This limited relief comes after air traffic was suspended across the region on Saturday, leaving travelers stranded and desperate for a way out.
Dubai's government has advised passengers to head to airports only if directly contacted, emphasizing the 'limited resumption of operations.' According to FlightAware, over 80% of flights to and from Dubai and more than half of those to and from Abu Dhabi remain canceled.
The situation is further exacerbated by the cancellation of over 2,000 flights to and from seven key airports in the Gulf region, including Dubai International, Hamad International Airport in Doha, and Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, as reported by Flightradar24 on X.
On Monday, at least 15 Etihad flights took off from Abu Dhabi's airport, offering a ray of hope to stranded passengers. These flights headed to various destinations, including Islamabad, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Cairo, and London Heathrow. However, regular commercial flights remain grounded.
Etihad has confirmed that scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi will remain suspended until 2 pm local time on Wednesday, March 4th.
Emirates began operating a limited number of flights on Monday evening, prioritizing customers with earlier bookings. The airline stated that those rebooked for these limited flights will be directly contacted. Dubai Airports confirmed a small resumption of operations, allowing a few flights to operate from Dubai International and Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International.
On Monday evening, Emirates flight UAE500 to Mumbai took off from Dubai, followed by UAE542 to Chennai. Meanwhile, two Flydubai flights were circling over the Gulf, awaiting their turn to land at Dubai airport. At the same time, two Etihad flights were approaching Abu Dhabi, marking the first departures from the airport since the outbreak of the Iran war.
As Emirates flight UAE500 took off from Dubai International on Monday, it was tracked by over 138,000 people on Flightradar24. This marked Emirates' first departure from Dubai since 12:19 local time on February 28th.
On Tuesday morning, five Emirates A380 aircraft departed Dubai, bound for Jeddah, Manchester, Paris, London, and Frankfurt.
Flydubai, in a statement, announced the operation of four departing flights from the city and five arriving flights on Monday. The airline emphasized its commitment to a gradual and efficient return to operations, acknowledging the dynamic nature of the situation and promising to monitor and amend schedules accordingly.
The conflict, which began on Saturday, has severely impacted air travel throughout the Middle East, stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers across multiple countries. Tourists, business travelers, and religious pilgrims found themselves unexpectedly trapped in hotels, airports, and even on cruise ships.
Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, and Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, are vital hubs connecting Europe, Africa, and Asia. These three airports were directly targeted by Iranian strikes over the weekend, leaving not only those traveling to or from the region stranded but also passengers on multi-leg flights who were merely passing through.
All aircraft movements at Hamad International Airport remain suspended due to the temporary closure of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways, the country's flag carrier, awaits the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority's announcement of the safe reopening of Qatari airspace before resuming operations. The airline has promised an update by 9 am local time on Wednesday (7 am CET).
The impact of the conflict extends to numerous airlines, with many announcing limited commercial services to the Middle East to collect stranded passengers. Millions of South Asian citizens living and working across the region are affected.
Indian airlines, such as IndiGo and Air India Express, have resumed limited operations to the Middle East. IndiGo will operate four return flights to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, while Air India Express will resume flights to and from Muscat, Oman. However, services to and from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE remain suspended.
Budget carrier Akasa Air will operate select flights to Jeddah. Oman Air has canceled all flights to and from several destinations, including Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, and Baghdad, for Tuesday, March 3rd. Other flights are operating as scheduled but with expected delays.
Saudia has canceled flights to and from Amman, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Moscow, and Peshawar until 11:59 pm local time on March 4th.
Low-cost carrier Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman, and Saudi Arabia up to and including March 7th. Turkish Airlines has canceled flights to and from Bahrain, Dammam, Riyadh, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, and the UAE.
Air France has canceled its scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh until March 5th. Dutch airline KLM has suspended flights to, from, or via destinations in the region, including Iran, Iraq, Israel, and several Gulf countries. British Airways is not flying to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until March 4th, with further cancellations to Middle Eastern destinations.
The Lufthansa Group, including Lufthansa, SWISS International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, and Eurowings, has suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, Tehran, and Dubai until March 8th. Finnair has suspended daily flights to Dubai and Doha until March 6th, while Norwegian has suspended its flights to and from Dubai up to and including March 4th.
Delta Air Lines has canceled flights from New York to Tel Aviv until March 8th, while American Airlines' Doha-Philadelphia flights are temporarily suspended. Air Canada has announced that all flights to and from Dubai and Tel Aviv are suspended until March 23rd.
Air India has extended the suspension of all flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Qatar until 11:59 pm on March 2nd, 2026. Garuda Indonesia, the Indonesian flag carrier, has temporarily suspended flights to and from Doha until further notice.
As the situation remains fluid, airlines continue to adapt their schedules, offering limited relief to stranded travelers. The impact of the conflict on global aviation is far-reaching, affecting not only those directly involved but also the broader travel industry and millions of passengers worldwide.
