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Air travel across the Gulf has been thrown into fresh turmoil as the escalating US–Israel war with Iran forces Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways to slash services, leaving passengers in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman grappling with limited flight options, fast-changing safety advisories and mounting uncertainty over when normal operations will resume.
Major Gulf Hubs Reduced to Skeleton Schedules
What began as short-term suspensions after joint US–Israeli strikes on Iran in late February has evolved into one of the most severe disruptions to Gulf aviation since the pandemic. Sweeping airspace closures and missile and drone activity over the region have forced airlines to ground or heavily curtail services, with more than 4,000 flights cancelled globally in a matter of days as carriers reroute or halt operations.
Emirates, usually one of the world’s busiest long haul airlines, has been operating only a limited schedule from Dubai since early March, prioritising passengers with confirmed bookings and essential travel. Airport authorities in Dubai say regular traffic at Terminals 2 and 3 remains far below normal, even as some services restarted on March 3 after a near total shutdown.
Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, suspended most scheduled commercial flights as Iran’s missile barrages and regional airspace notices made civilian routes through the Gulf unsafe. The airline has begun restoring a restricted timetable from March 6, focusing on key destinations and recovery flights, but warns that capacity is tight and further disruption is possible if the security picture deteriorates again.
Qatar Airways faces the most severe constraints of the three. The closure of Qatari airspace in the wake of Iranian missile launches near Hamad International Airport has left Doha largely cut off from regular commercial traffic. The carrier has halted normal operations and is instead coordinating ad hoc repatriation flights for stranded citizens and residents while insisting that full services will not resume until regulators declare the skies safe.
Airspace Closures and Rerouting Drive Safety Concerns
The operational chaos stems from an overlapping web of airspace restrictions imposed as the conflict widened. Authorities in Iran, Israel and several Gulf states moved to shut or heavily limit civilian corridors in early March, citing the risk from drones, ballistic missiles and potential misidentification by military air defences. Regulators in the United States and Europe have also issued strong warnings for carriers to avoid much of the region.
For passengers, the most visible effect is cancellations, but the underlying safety calculus is more complex. Where flights are operating, airlines have been forced to plot longer detours that skirt Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian and Israeli airspace, sometimes routing over Africa or the Caucasus. These circuitous tracks add hours to journeys, increase fuel burn and narrow the options for diversion airports in the event of an in flight emergency.
In Oman, where airspace technically remains open, some international services continue to Muscat and Salalah. However, carriers have pulled back on routes that require traversing the most volatile sky corridors, and maritime and aviation security bulletins warn of heightened risk around the Strait of Hormuz. Travel advisers stress that an open airport does not necessarily mean a low risk environment and urge passengers to weigh whether their trip is essential.
Industry analysts note that large Gulf carriers have extensive experience operating in conflict zones, with sophisticated security teams, intelligence feeds and contingency plans. Even so, the volume and proximity of recent attacks, including strikes that came close to major hubs, have raised the threshold for what is considered an acceptable operating risk, leading airlines and regulators alike to err on the side of caution.
What Passengers Departing from the UAE, Qatar and Oman Should Expect
Travellers starting journeys in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha or Muscat now face a far less predictable environment than even a fortnight ago. With Gulf hubs functioning on reduced schedules, last minute cancellations and rolling timetable changes are common, and many airlines are warning passengers not to go to the airport without a confirmed ticket and up to date flight status.
In the United Arab Emirates, Emirates and Etihad are giving priority to passengers who were stranded by earlier cancellations, meaning limited availability for new bookings, especially on routes to Europe and North America. Seats that do open up are often on significantly longer routings or involve multiple connections, driving up fares and travel times. Some foreign carriers have also suspended flights into the UAE, narrowing options further.
From Qatar, where regular commercial operations from Doha remain largely suspended, most passengers have little choice but to wait for evacuation style flights or seek overland or sea alternatives if feasible. Travel agents report that demand for any outbound seat from the country has far outstripped supply, particularly among foreign workers and tourists who had transited through Hamad International Airport en route to Asia, Africa or Europe.
In Oman, travellers still able to depart face their own set of challenges. While Muscat’s airspace remains open, airlines from outside the region have suspended or reduced services into the Gulf, and some are reluctant to route aircraft along traditional east west corridors that pass nearby. This can mean fewer direct options and higher prices, even for journeys that do not normally touch Israel or Iran.
Limited Protections, Waivers and the Fine Print
As during previous geopolitical crises, many passengers are discovering that their rights and protections depend heavily on where their flight originates, which airline they are on and the exact wording of their tickets and insurance policies. Several Gulf and Western carriers have introduced temporary waivers that allow free date changes or credits for travel that had been scheduled between late February and mid March, but these policies are time bound and often do not cover onward segments booked on separate tickets.
At the same time, standard travel insurance offers only partial relief. Most policies explicitly exclude losses related to war or armed conflict, meaning that while medical coverage or basic trip interruption benefits may still apply, compensation for cancellations due to airspace closures is frequently limited. Specialist insurers offer add ons that cover political risk, but brokers caution that these must be purchased before a crisis escalates, not after flights have already been grounded.
Passengers flying from the UAE, Qatar or Oman are being urged by consular services and travel advisers to keep every receipt linked to disruption, including hotel stays, meals and alternative transport. While airlines are not always legally obliged to reimburse these outlays when cancellations are driven by security directives rather than their own operational decisions, some carriers have voluntarily covered reasonable expenses in past crises as a goodwill measure.
For now, the patchwork of waivers and commercial gestures remains fluid. Travellers are advised to check airline advisories daily and to consider rebooking to fully refundable fares, even if more expensive, in case of further deterioration in the security situation or new rounds of airspace restrictions.
Practical Safety Guidance for Those Who Must Travel
Despite escalating government advisories urging people to avoid non essential trips to the region, some passengers still need to travel for family, work or humanitarian reasons. Security experts recommend that anyone flying from the UAE, Qatar or Oman in the coming days minimise airport time by checking in online where possible, arriving only within the recommended window and avoiding long layovers that could be exposed to sudden airspace closures.
Travellers are also being urged to register with their consulate or embassy if they are citizens of countries that offer such services, so that authorities can contact them quickly in the event of an evacuation or further deterioration of conditions. Keeping copies of key documents, including passports and visas, both digitally and in hard copy can help if bags are lost amid the disruption.
While aviation safety regulators stress that no passenger flights are being permitted to operate on routes they consider unsafe, perceptions of risk will vary. Some travellers may decide that any exposure to a live conflict zone is unacceptable and opt to postpone or reroute journeys through alternative hubs in Europe, Asia or Africa that bypass the Gulf entirely.
For those who do fly, experts say the most important tools are flexibility and information. Schedules are being rebuilt day by day, and what is impossible on one date may become feasible a few days later. Conversely, a route that looks viable in the morning can be pulled from sale by evening as new security bulletins arrive. In a region where air connectivity underpins tourism, trade and migrant labour flows, the coming weeks will test how quickly Gulf aviation can recover once the guns fall silent, and how willing passengers are to return to the skies above a still fragile Middle East.