The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has triggered significant upheaval in international air travel, with numerous airlines forced to cancel or suspend flights to the region’s key aviation centers. Major hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi have been impacted, resulting in thousands of passengers being stranded and widespread disruptions across global flight networks. This escalation in hostilities has prompted airlines from Europe, Asia, and North America to take precautionary measures by limiting or halting operations to affected destinations.
In response to growing safety concerns and restricted airspace, several carriers have announced extended suspensions of their services. Greece’s largest airline, Aegean Airlines, has ceased flights to cities including Tel Aviv, Beirut, Erbil, and Baghdad until March 29. Additionally, its routes to Dubai and Riyadh remain suspended until March 28 and March 14, respectively. Similarly, Latvia’s airBaltic has halted all flights to Tel Aviv until March 28 and to Dubai until March 30, reflecting the widespread caution among European airlines.
North American carriers have also adjusted their schedules amid the turmoil. Air Canada has suspended flights to Tel Aviv until May 2, while also pausing its Dubai services until March 28. Meanwhile, U.S.-based Delta Air Lines has cancelled its New York–Tel Aviv flights through March 31 and the return route until April 1. The airline further delayed the resumption of its Atlanta–Tel Aviv flights, pushing the restart to August, highlighting the long-term uncertainty caused by the conflict.
European airlines have followed suit with similar disruptions. Spain’s Air Europa has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 20, and Air France has suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut until March 15, with Dubai and Riyadh services paused until March 14. KLM, part of the Air France-KLM group, has extended its suspension of flights to Riyadh, Dammam, and Dubai until March 28, and halted Tel Aviv services for the remainder of the winter season. These cancellations underscore the growing instability in the region and its impact on air travel.
Meanwhile, Asian carriers have also been affected. Cathay Pacific cancelled all flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh until March 31, and Japan Airlines halted Tokyo–Doha flights from February 28 to March 21, with the return flights suspended until March 22. Malaysia Airlines has suspended all flights to Doha until March 20, while Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus cancelled flights to multiple Middle Eastern cities—including Iran, Iraq, Amman, and Dubai—until the end of March. Qatar Airways, operating under limited authorization from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, is maintaining a reduced schedule amid the ongoing tensions.
Regional airlines based in the Middle East have also adjusted their operations in response to the conflict. UAE’s Emirates has scaled back its flight operations, while Etihad Airways resumed a restricted commercial schedule from Abu Dhabi to select destinations. Saudi Arabia’s Saudia suspended flights to Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Bahrain until March 12, continuing only a few exceptional services. Turkish Airlines, under directives from Turkey’s transport ministry, has cancelled flights to numerous countries including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Gulf states until mid-March. Hungary’s Wizz Air suspended flights to Israel until March 29 and halted services to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman, and Jeddah from Europe until mid-September, reflecting the prolonged uncertainty.
This wave of cancellations and suspensions marks one of the most significant disruptions to global aviation in recent years. Airlines are actively rerouting flights to avoid conflict zones or suspending operations entirely to ensure passenger safety. The ongoing war involving Iran has not only affected regional travel but has also sent ripples across international air routes, complicating travel plans for tens of thousands of passengers worldwide. As the situation develops, airlines continue to monitor security conditions closely and adjust their schedules accordingly, with many flights remaining suspended well into late March and beyond.
