Middle East flights still disrupted despite reopened skies

Six months after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the worst disruption to Middle Eastern air routes since the pandemic, airlines continue to cancel, suspend, and reroute flights across the region even as governments have partially reopened airspace. The gap between technically open skies and actual airline operations remains wide, leaving passengers facing a patchwork of reduced schedules, longer journey times, and short-notice cancellations.

Airlines Hold Back as Suspensions Stretch Into Autumn

A Reuters tracker updated on September 8 showed that several major carriers still have Gulf routes suspended well into late autumn. Singapore Airlines has kept its Dubai service grounded until October 24, while Cathay Pacific has extended its Dubai and Riyadh suspensions through the end of November. British Airways International Consolidated Airlines Group, S.A. has cancelled flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain, and Amman until October 25, and Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG Group routes to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Riyadh, and other cities remain off until October 24. Air France resumed Dubai and Riyadh services in late August after months of rolling suspensions but pulled Dubai flights again on September 7 through at least September 8, with Beirut suspended through September 24.visaverge+4

Gulf-based carriers including Emirates and Etihad continue to operate reduced networks from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, though at lower frequencies and with greater operational complexity than before the crisis. Flight-tracking data from early September recorded 1,617 delays and 71 cancellations across Dubai, Istanbul, and Cairo in a single two-day window.thetraveler+1

Connectivity Takes a Hit

The Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East reported that Middle East direct air connectivity contracted 23% in the first half of 2026, reversing a 21% surge in connectivity recorded across the region in 2025. European safety bulletins updated at the end of August continue to recommend that commercial flights avoid the Tehran and Baghdad flight information regions at all altitudes, keeping the most direct east-west corridors between Europe and Asia effectively closed. Airlines rerouting south via Egypt and the Arabian Sea are adding up to 15% more fuel burn on affected segments, according to industry briefings cited by IATA.gulf-times+1

Conflict at Sea Adds New Pressure

The latest escalation in the tanker war near the Strait of Hormuz is compounding aviation uncertainty. Gulf News reported on September 10 that the U.S. destroyed five Iranian oil tankers overnight while Iran claimed attacks on 10 ships near the strait, pushing Brent crude above $100 a barrel. With only six commodity vessels passing through Hormuz on Tuesday compared with a pre-war daily average of roughly 125, airlines must now factor in not only airspace safety but shifting regional military activity.gulfnews

For travelers, the practical reality remains unchanged: reopened airspace has not restored normalcy. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency's conflict-zone advisories run through at least September 30, and airlines warn that schedules can shift with little notice as the security situation evolves.wego+1