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  • Latest update: Middle East airspace restrictions: which airlines are flying and which are suspended

Latest update: Middle East airspace restrictions: which airlines are flying and which are suspended

Over 13,000 flights cancelled and 20,000 passengers stranded as Middle East airspace restrictions ground major Gulf airlines and disrupt global aviation.

Josh Wood

By Josh Wood Tue Mar 3, 2026

The reopening of selected government-approved corridors has enabled carriers to begin moving aircraft and crews stranded overseas. However, schedules remain fluid and subject to short-notice change depending on airspace availability and security assessments. Foreign airlines serving the region are also adjusting operations or cancelling services entirely.

Which Middle East airlines have suspended flights?

The following airlines have suspended or limited operations across the region. Information remains subject to change, and passengers should consult their airline before travelling.

Updated Friday, 6th of March 03:00 GMT.

Airline

Hub

Operational Status

Operational Update

Emirates

Dubai (DXB)

100 destinations now open.

Full list here

Qatar Airways

Doha (DOH)

Operations suspended, further update at 09:00 DOH time on Friday, 6th of March.

Airline website

Etihad Airways

Abu Dhabi (AUH)

Flights to and from Abu Dhabi are scheduled to operate between March 6 and March 19 to the following destinations:

Ahmedabad, Bangkok, Bengaluru, Cairo, Colombo, Delhi, Frankfurt, Hanoi, Hyderabad, Jeddah, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Madrid, Malé, Milan Malpensa, Moscow Sheremetyevo, Mumbai, New York JFK, Paris, Phuket, Riyadh, Rome, Seoul Incheon, Toronto and Zurich.

Airline website

flydubai

Dubai (DXB)

Limited operations resumed.

Airline website

Air Arabia

Sharjah (SHJ)

Limited operations resumed.

Airline website

Kuwait Airways

Kuwait City (KWI)

Operations suspended without a timeline.

Airline website

Jazeera Airways

Kuwait City (KWI)

Operations suspended without a timeline.

Airline website

Gulf Air

Bahrain (BAH)

Operations suspended without a timeline.

Airline website

El Al Israel Airlines

Tel Aviv (TLV)

Operations suspended through Thursday, 5th of March. Repatriation flights to be conducted.

Airline website

Oman Air

Muscat (MCT)

Flights to Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad, and Khasab have been cancelled up to and including Friday, 6th of March.

Airline website

Saudia

Riyadh (RUH)

Flights to Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Moscow, and Peshawar are cancelled up to Wednesday, 4th of March.

Airline website

Flynas

Riyadh (RUH)

Some cancellations and disruptions.

Airline website

Royal Jordanian

Amman (AMM)

Some cancellations and disruptions.

Airline website

Many other airlines, such as British Airways, KLM, Air France, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Finnair, Wizz Air, Norwegian, and Garuda Indonesia have all suspended operations to many cities in the region.

The cancellations have impacted several major aviation hubs, including Dubai International Airport (DXB), Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH), Bahrain International Airport (BAH), Kuwait International Airport (KWI), Muscat International Airport (MCT), and Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV).

Middle East airspace restriction valid from the 2nd of March.

Aviation authorities across the region continue to monitor the situation and may reopen additional airspace if conditions allow.

Airline Ratings will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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