Iran Conflict Causes Widespread Flight Cancellations and Air Travel Chaos
The raging conflict in Iran is precipitating massive and ongoing disruption to global air travel, with passengers facing widespread cancellations and rerouted journeys. Key Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi remain significantly affected, leaving many travellers stranded or facing indefinite delays.
Economic and Operational Pressures Intensify
Adding a severe financial dimension to the operational crisis, jet fuel prices have doubled since the onset of the hostilities. This surge is intensifying pressure on airlines already contending with severely restricted airspace, forcing pilots to implement lengthy and costly reroutes to bypass the volatile Middle Eastern region.
Comprehensive List of Airline Cancellations
The following is the latest alphabetical rundown of airlines and their specific cancellations to the region, reflecting the extensive scale of the disruption.
Aegean Airlines: Greece's largest carrier has cancelled flights to Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Amman until April 30. Flights to Erbil, Baghdad, and Dubai are cancelled until May 31.
airBaltic: The Latvian airline has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until May 31 and all flights to Dubai until October 24.
Air Canada: This Canadian carrier has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until September 7.
Air Europa: The Spanish airline has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until May 3.
Air France: Flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh are suspended until April 19.
British Airways: The IAG-owned airline has extended cancellations to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai, and Tel Aviv until May 31, and to Doha until April 30. Flights to Abu Dhabi remain suspended until later this year. Concurrently, it is adding services to Bangkok, Singapore, and the Maldives until April, and will operate a third daily London-Mumbai flight in May.
Cathay Pacific: The Hong Kong airline has cancelled all passenger flights to Dubai and Riyadh until May 31. To meet surging European demand, it will operate extra flights to London, Paris, and Zurich in April.
Delta Air Lines: The U.S. carrier has cancelled its New York-Tel Aviv route and delayed the restart of Atlanta-Tel Aviv until September 5. The planned late-October launch of its Boston-Tel Aviv route is postponed indefinitely.
EL AL Israel Airlines: The Israeli carrier cancelled flights for customers departing Israel through April 11, including relevant return journeys, and is operating only a limited schedule to key destinations.
Emirates: The UAE airline is operating a reduced schedule following a partial reopening of regional airspace.
Ethiad Airways: The Abu Dhabi-based carrier has resumed a limited commercial schedule to around 80 destinations.
Finnair: The Finnish airline has cancelled Doha flights until July 2 and will not restart Dubai services until October. It continues to avoid the airspace of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Israel.
Flynas: The Saudi budget airline has suspended flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Syria until April 15.
Iberia Express: IAG's low-cost airline has cancelled all Tel Aviv flights through May 31.
Indigo: The Indian airline suspended operations to Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah until March 28.
ITA Airways: Flights to Tel Aviv are suspended until April 2, with Dubai cancellations extended until March 29. It also avoids Iraqi, Iranian, Syrian, and Israeli airspace.
Japan Airlines: Scheduled Tokyo-Doha flights are suspended until April 10, with Doha-Tokyo flights suspended until April 11.
KLM: The Dutch airline has suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Riyadh, Dammam, and Dubai until May 17.
LOT Polish Airlines: All flights to Tel Aviv are suspended until May 31. Flights to Riyadh are cancelled until June 30, and to Beirut from March 31 to May 30. Its winter route to Dubai is planned for October.
Lufthansa Group: Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, and Edelweiss have suspended flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until May 31, and to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat, and Tehran until October 24. Lufthansa Cargo has similar suspensions, with Tel Aviv halted through April 30. Eurowings plans to suspend flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Erbil through April 30 and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman through October 24.
Malaysia Airlines: The carrier has suspended all flights to Doha until June 14.
Norwegian Air: The low-cost airline has delayed planned launches of Tel Aviv and Beirut services to June 15. All Dubai flights for the remainder of the winter season through April 8 are cancelled.
Pegasus Airlines: Turkey's Pegasus has cancelled flights to Iran, Iraq, Amman, Beirut, Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah until May 1.
Qantas: Australia's flag carrier is adding flights to Rome and Paris to meet increased European demand. Flights to Paris will increase to five return trips weekly, and the Perth-Singapore service will increase to 10 flights weekly. Updated schedules take effect from mid-April until late July.
Qatar Airways: The carrier is gradually increasing flights from Doha, aiming to serve over 120 destinations by mid-May.
Singapore Airlines: The suspension of Singapore-Dubai flights is extended until May 31. It is adding services on Singapore-London Gatwick and Singapore-Melbourne routes from late March until October 24.
Turkish Airlines: Most Middle East flights are cancelled until the end of March. SunExpress, its Lufthansa joint venture, has cancelled Dubai flights until April 6 and Bahrain flights until April 30.
Wizz Air: The low-cost airline has suspended flights to Israel until April 13, and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman from mainland Europe until mid-September. All flights to Medina are suspended indefinitely.
