Middle East Flights Suspended: Full List of Affected Routes and What Travelers Should Do (March 2026)

What Is Happening

Widespread airspace closures and restrictions across the Middle East have caused massive flight disruptions since late February 2026. As of March 5, more than 3,400 flights were cancelled in a single day across airports in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. On March 4 alone, 1,730 out of 3,656 scheduled departures from the region were cancelled — a cancellation rate of 47%.

The disruptions are the result of airspace closures affecting the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, with Saudi Arabia operating under partial restrictions. Airlines have been forced to suspend, reroute, or significantly reduce services across the region.

Affected Airspaces

• Fully closed: UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Iraq
• Partially restricted: Saudi Arabia (some corridors remain open)

These closures affect not only flights to and from the region, but also thousands of overflights that normally transit Middle Eastern airspace on routes between Europe and Asia.

Airline-by-Airline Status (Updated March 6)

Emirates

All scheduled Emirates flights remain suspended until 11:59 PM local time on March 7. The airline is operating a limited number of repatriation flights for stranded passengers. Emirates has stated it "anticipates a return to 100% of its network within the coming days" and is working to restore full operations.

Etihad Airways

Etihad resumed a limited number of commercial flights from March 6, operating between Abu Dhabi and key destinations. The airline is avoiding restricted airspace and rerouting flights where possible. Passengers with tickets issued on or before February 28 with travel dates up to March 21 can rebook free of charge onto flights up to May 15, 2026.

flydubai

flydubai resumed limited operations from March 5, with scheduled flights to several destinations. However, routes to Iran and Iraq remain suspended until further notice. Operations to other destinations continue to be impacted where airspace restrictions remain in place.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways flights remain suspended pending a safety review of Qatari airspace. The airline has begun operating limited relief flights from Muscat and Riyadh to help stranded passengers reach their destinations.

Air Arabia

All Air Arabia flights to and from the UAE are suspended until 3:00 PM GST on March 9, 2026.

Saudia

Saudia has extended the cancellation of all flights to and from seven international destinations until March 6, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, Amman, and Peshawar. Domestic Saudi flights continue to operate, though some routes are experiencing delays due to rerouting.

Oman Air

All Oman Air flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad, and Khasab are cancelled until March 8.

Kuwait Airways

All operations are suspended after Kuwait International Airport suffered damage from a drone strike on Terminal 1. The airport is closed to commercial traffic. Repatriation flights for Kuwaiti citizens are being arranged via Jeddah.

International Airlines

• British Airways: Unable to operate flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv. Free rebooking available for London Heathrow flights through March 15.
• Lufthansa Group: Flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Dammam suspended until March 10. Amman and Erbil until March 15. Tel Aviv until March 22. Tehran until April 30.
• KLM: Flights to Dammam, Dubai, and Riyadh suspended until March 8. Tel Aviv suspended for the rest of winter season.
• Wizz Air: All flights to Israel, UAE, Amman, and Saudi Arabia suspended through March 7.
• Air Canada: Dubai and Tel Aviv services suspended until March 22.
• Air India: Most Middle East routes suspended except Jeddah. Fee-free rescheduling available.
• EgyptAir: Flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Beirut, Doha, Amman, Dammam, Bahrain, Baghdad, Erbil, and Kuwait suspended until further notice.
• Virgin Atlantic: Has resumed flights to Dubai and Riyadh as of March 4, using longer routing to avoid restricted airspace.

Key Routes Affected for GCC Travelers

The following popular routes from GCC cities are currently suspended or severely disrupted:

• Dubai to Amman: Suspended on Emirates, flydubai, and Royal Jordanian. No alternatives currently available from Dubai.
• Dubai to London: Emirates suspended. Virgin Atlantic operating with extended routing (adding ~2 hours). BA suspended.
• Doha to anywhere: All Qatar Airways flights suspended. Relief flights only from Muscat and Riyadh.
• Riyadh to Dubai: Saudia suspended. Some indirect routing via Jeddah may be possible.
• Kuwait to all destinations: Airport closed. No commercial flights.
• Abu Dhabi to Europe: Etihad resumed limited flights from March 6 with rerouting to avoid restricted airspace.

Your Rights as a Passenger

If your flight has been cancelled, you are entitled to the following under most airline policies and regulations:

1. Full refund: You can request a complete refund for any cancelled flight, regardless of ticket type.
2. Free rebooking: Most airlines are offering free rebooking to later dates. Check each airline's specific policy for deadline and date range.
3. Care and assistance: If you are stranded at an airport, the airline must provide meals, communication, and hotel accommodation for overnight delays.
4. Alternative routing: You can request to be rerouted to your destination via any available means, even on other airlines.

Keep all receipts for any expenses incurred due to cancellations — you may be able to claim these from the airline or your travel insurance.

What You Should Do Right Now

1. Check your airline's website or app for the latest status on your specific flight. Do not go to the airport without confirming your flight is operating.
2. Contact your airline to understand rebooking options. Phone lines are very busy — try the airline's app, social media (especially X/Twitter DMs), or WhatsApp support channels.
3. Check your travel insurance policy. Many policies cover trip disruption due to airspace closures and conflict. File a claim for hotel, food, and rebooking costs.
4. Consider alternative routing. Some travelers are flying to Muscat (Oman) or Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) as these airports have partial operations, then connecting onward.
5. Stay updated. The situation is changing rapidly with airlines updating schedules every few hours. Follow your airline on social media for real-time updates.

You can monitor flight availability and compare prices on alternative routes at altayran.com. We update pricing in real-time across all airlines.

When Will Flights Resume

The situation remains fluid. Emirates anticipates returning to full operations "within days." Etihad and flydubai have already resumed limited services. Most airlines are providing 24-48 hour update windows rather than definitive resumption dates. The pace of recovery depends on when airspace restrictions are lifted, which is tied to the broader geopolitical situation.

We will continue updating this article as airlines announce schedule changes. Bookmark this page or follow us for the latest information.