Airlines Extend Cancellations and Delays Across the Middle East

Major airlines are continuing to cancel, delay, or reroute flights across the Middle East in April 2026, as the region’s airspace reopens only gradually following weeks of conflict-related closures.

European and North American Carriers Keep Many Middle East Routes Suspended

Several European airline groups are maintaining widespread suspensions to Middle East destinations, even as ceasefire arrangements take hold. Publicly available information shows that the Lufthansa Group has extended the suspension of flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until May 31, with services to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Riyadh, and Erbil paused until late October 2026. These decisions reflect ongoing caution about overflying or serving parts of the Gulf and Levant while airspace restrictions and security advisories remain in place.

French flag carrier Air France has prolonged its halt on services to Dubai and Riyadh, with recent travel industry reporting indicating that flights from Dubai will not resume until early May. The airline continues to assess operations to other regional points, and many of its passengers are being rerouted via alternative hubs in Europe, India, and Africa.

North American airlines are taking a similarly conservative approach. Air Canada has extended its suspension of Dubai flights into early September 2026, a significantly longer pause than initially anticipated. United States carriers have focused on Tel Aviv and nearby destinations, with Delta previously cancelling Israel flights and applying flexible rebooking waivers for travel originally scheduled between late February and the end of March.

Budget and leisure travelers are also affected by route cuts beyond the core Gulf markets. Industry route trackers note that AirAsia and AirAsia X are suspending several services over the coming weeks, citing rising fuel costs linked to longer routings around conflict zones as well as demand uncertainty for itineraries that pass through or near Middle East airspace.

Gulf Hubs Rebuild Schedules as Some Airlines Resume Limited Operations

After dramatic shutdowns and restrictions in late February and early March, major Gulf hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha are rebuilding traffic but not yet at full capacity. Reports from Dubai International Airport indicate that movements have climbed back to roughly half of normal levels, but many schedules remain trimmed and some routes are still temporarily dropped. Emirates and flydubai have both operated reduced networks, with selected flights cancelled or heavily retimed and some passengers shifted onto alternative departures.

In nearby Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways initially suspended most departures but has since restored a limited schedule, focusing on core routes and repatriation demand. Passengers holding Etihad tickets issued before the crisis for travel in March were offered flexible changes without rebooking fees, yet many still face last-minute timetable changes as airspace advisories evolve.

Qatar Airways experienced one of the most severe impacts when Iranian airspace closures forced the grounding of all passenger flights on February 28. According to recent operational data, the airline restarted services on March 18 and has quickly scaled up, reaching more than 80 percent of its pre-crisis departures from Doha by early April. Even with this recovery, some routes remain suspended or rerouted, and flight times on Europe and Asia services are often longer than usual due to detours around restricted zones.

Regional observers note that Oman Air, based in Muscat, has been one of the few Gulf carriers to maintain operations throughout the crisis with relatively limited disruption. While some flights have seen delays and minor schedule adjustments, the airline has continued to offer connections that bypass the most heavily affected airspace, giving travelers an alternative when services via Dubai, Doha, or other hubs are reduced.

Middle East and Asian Airlines Adjust Routes, Cancel Select Services

Flag carriers across the Middle East have adopted a mix of outright suspensions and targeted adjustments. Turkish Airlines has continued to suspend flights to several nearby conflict-adjacent markets, including multiple destinations in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Earlier statements indicated that flights from Turkey to these countries would remain halted into March and, on select routes such as Iraq, extended until at least the end of April, with some low-cost affiliates like Pegasus pushing suspensions into May.

In the Levant, disruptions remain significant. Coverage of airport operations shows Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport operating on a critically limited schedule, with national carrier Middle East Airlines maintaining services while many foreign airlines stay away. Data from a recent 24 hour period highlighted more than twenty cancellations and a dozen delays at Beirut alone, underscoring the fragile nature of connectivity in parts of the region.

Asian airlines that rely on Gulf routes for labor and leisure traffic are also making substantial changes. Philippine low cost carrier Cebu Pacific has extended the suspension of its Manila to Dubai flights until at least the end of April, beyond an original target date of April 20. Philippine Airlines, by contrast, is gradually restoring some links, including the resumption of Manila to Riyadh flights from April 10, while still monitoring conditions on other Middle East routes.

Other Asian operators have focused on rerouting rather than full cancellations. Some carriers from South and Southeast Asia are adjusting flight paths to avoid Iranian and neighboring airspace, lengthening flight times but preserving connections to Europe. For passengers, this often translates into schedule changes, revised connection times, and, in some cases, overnight layovers where non stop flights are not currently viable.

European and Regional Low Cost Carriers Extend Cancellations

Low cost and hybrid carriers linking Europe with the Middle East have felt particular strain from the evolving restrictions. Travel industry summaries indicate that Lufthansa Group’s leisure and regional brands, including SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, and Edelweiss, have suspended services not only to Dubai and Tel Aviv but also to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Riyadh, and Erbil for much of 2026. These longer term cancellations remove a large portion of seasonal and holiday capacity between Europe and the Gulf.

In Turkey, the impact spans both full service and low cost segments. Turkish Airlines and its subsidiary AJet, along with private carrier Pegasus Airlines and joint venture SunExpress, have suspended flights to multiple destinations across Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Officials in Ankara previously announced that these suspensions would stay in place at least through early March, and more recent updates show that certain routes, particularly to Iraq, now have suspension periods lasting into late April or beyond.

Elsewhere in the region, Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways have responded to earlier airspace closures at home by shifting some operations across the border to Saudi Arabia’s Dammam, transporting passengers by road to reach flights. While this workaround has helped maintain limited connectivity, it has also led to longer travel times, added complexity at the land border, and a higher risk of delay for affected services.

Disruptions are not limited to passenger travel. Cargo focused schedules have also seen cancellations and adjustments, especially to and from Iraq and certain Gulf destinations. Freight advisories describe service to Iraq as largely suspended and note that flights to parts of Saudi Arabia and other neighboring states are operating with delays and capacity constraints, which can in turn affect belly hold space on passenger flights when they do operate.

What Travelers Should Expect in the Coming Weeks

With portions of Middle East airspace reopening and ceasefire arrangements in place, more airlines are slowly restoring services, but irregular operations remain common. Schedules published for late April and May frequently include provisional restart dates that may shift if security assessments change. Travelers booked on suspended routes are often being offered free rebooking, refunds, or rerouting via alternative hubs in Europe, Africa, or South Asia, though exact options vary widely by carrier.

Even where flights are operating, passengers should be prepared for longer journey times due to rerouted flight paths and congested alternative corridors. Operational data from airports such as Dubai and Doha indicates that ground handling and air traffic flow are still under pressure, increasing the risk of knock on delays on connecting itineraries.

Publicly available guidance from airports and airlines consistently stresses the importance of checking flight status before leaving for the airport and monitoring email or app notifications for last minute changes. Because many carriers are revising schedules in near real time in response to regulatory and security notices, a confirmed booking days in advance does not always guarantee that a flight will depart as initially advertised.

For now, the full list of airlines cancelling or delaying flights in the Middle East remains fluid and subject to rapid change. Large network carriers in Europe, North America, and Asia, as well as Gulf based airlines and regional low cost operators, continue to adjust their timetables as conditions evolve, leaving travelers with more options than during the peak of the shutdown but still far fewer than before the latest round of conflict.