Airlines are slowly restoring service after the Iran conflict, but many flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and other Gulf destinations remain reduced or suspended.
When the U.S. and Iran engaged in hostilities at the end of February, it upended air travel throughout the Gulf Region. Now that both sides have hammered out a framework on moving past the three-month-old war, the status of disrupted flights is again in question, particularly regarding how quickly the flights will be restored to airports like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar, which were previously large global connecting hubs for their based carriers.
The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia lifted most airspace restrictions in April or May during the original ceasefire agreement, but the region’s three mega carriers, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad continue to operate reduced schedules. United Airlines, which had been the only U.S. carrier flying to Dubai, has suspended its nonstop flight from Newark indefinitely and has not announced plans to return.
Many other airlines announced suspension of flights to and from the Gulf Region, and we’ve included a partial list of those airlines here, focusing on major airlines used by travelers originating in our bound for North America.
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Non-Gulf Region Carriers
Turkish Airlines has resumed service from Istanbul to Dubai as of June 8.
Singapore Airlines has suspended service to Dubai until August 2.
Virgin Atlantic, which operated winter seasonal service to Dubai from London, ended the service early. Virgin has plans to return to the market seasonally in October 2027.
Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines) has suspended flights to Abu Dhabi, UAE; Amman, Jordan; Beirut, Lebanon; Dammam, Saudi Arabia; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Erbil, Iraq; Muscat, Oman; and Tehran, Iran; until October 24. Service to Dubai is suspended through September 13.
KLM has suspended flights to Dubai; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Dammam, Saudi Arabia until August 9.
Cathay Pacific has suspended flights to Dubai, and Riyadh until August 31.
British Airways has permanently ended its nonstop flights between London and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. British Airways will resume flights to Dubai, Bahrain, and Tel Aviv on a reduced schedule beginning October 25.
Air France has suspended service to Tel Aviv until June 23, and to Beirut until June 24. Air France will return to Dubai from July 1.
Air Canada has suspended service to Dubai and Tel Aviv through October 24.
Gulf Region Carriers
Emirates has resumed service to 137 destinations in 72 countries, although it has not yet resumed its full pre-war schedule of flights from Dubai. The company suggests visiting their website for the latest updates.
Etihad resumed operations in early March, and has largely most of its scheduled flying. Like Emirates, it is recommended to check their website for the latest route updates and flight status.
Qatar Airways announced on June 16 it was reinstating 26 suspended destinations, bringing the total number of cities served from its Doha hub to 160 for the northern summer season. Qatar Airways returns to Philadelphia and Boston on August 1.
Gulf Air expects to resume its three-quarters of its schedule of flights from Bahrain in June.
Saudia resumed flight to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and several other cities in the Gulf region in April, but warns some flights may still be cancelled because of airspace restrictions. They recommend checking their website for further details.
Oman Air has largely operated its full schedule of flights from Muscat since April.
The situation for all airlines, airports, and regional airspace remains fluid and is subject to change as negotiations on the peace framework continue. Travelers should check with their airline for any anticipated disruptions, and flexibility accommodations in the event hostilities restart.