Flight operations across the Middle East have entered another volatile phase, with services to and through Dubai, Abu Dhabi and key Gulf hubs repeatedly disrupted by fast moving geopolitical tensions. Temporary airspace closures, precautionary pauses at major airports and selective route suspensions have affected both regional and international airlines. While most core services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) remain operational as of February 2026, travellers are facing longer routes, short notice schedule changes and lingering knock on delays from the most recent crisis episodes.
Context: How Geopolitics Is Reshaping Gulf Air Corridors
Air travel in the Middle East has always been closely tied to politics and security, but the events of the past year have underlined just how quickly conditions can change. Tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States, along with flare ups in regional conflict zones, have led to episodic missile and drone attacks, military deployments and abrupt airspace restrictions. For carriers based in the UAE, Qatar and other GCC states, this has meant rerouting around temporarily closed areas and, at times, suspending links to certain destinations altogether.
The most disruptive period came in June 2025, when Israeli strikes on Iran prompted a chain reaction of airspace closures across parts of the Gulf. Several countries temporarily shut their skies, while the UAE briefly paused arrivals and departures at its busiest airports. In parallel, regional tensions earlier and later in the year triggered targeted route suspensions by both Gulf carriers and major European airlines wary of flying over contested airspace. These shocks have reverberated into 2026, with some restrictions still in effect and many flight plans permanently redesigned to avoid higher risk corridors.
For travellers using Dubai International, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, or other GCC hubs such as Doha, Riyadh and Jeddah, the net effect has been an increase in operational complexity. Even when airports are technically open, airlines are sometimes forced to operate less direct routings, with diversions via the Caspian region or southern tracks over Egypt and Saudi Arabia. That can add flight time, fuel costs and crew duty challenges, raising the likelihood of delays or last minute schedule changes.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi: Operations Stable but Not Immune to Shocks
Dubai and Abu Dhabi remain the region’s primary long haul gateways, and both have worked to restore confidence after the June 2025 disruption. Dubai authorities confirmed that full operations resumed at the emirate’s airports after a temporary precautionary halt following Iranian missile strikes on the Al Udeid air base in Qatar and related regional airspace closures. Officials stressed that the pause was a safety measure and that airport and air traffic teams coordinated closely with airlines to clear backlogs once restrictions were lifted.
In Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways has mirrored that cautious approach. During periods of heightened tension, the airline has cancelled selected services and rerouted flights around restricted zones, particularly where overflight of Iranian or Iraqi airspace was involved. At the peak of the June 2025 crisis, Etihad also suspended operations to certain destinations such as Tel Aviv and Amman for specified periods, refusing to accept transiting passengers whose onward flights were cancelled. This pattern of proactive, temporary suspension is likely to recur whenever risk levels rise sharply.
As of February 2026, Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports are operating normally, with the vast majority of scheduled departures and arrivals running. However, regional volatility means that airlines are maintaining contingency plans. Travellers may still see extended flight times on journeys that previously used direct corridors over Iran or Iraq. Aircraft that once flew relatively short great circle routes between the Gulf and Europe may now track north over Turkey and the Caucasus or south via the Red Sea, depending on daily risk assessments by airline security and operations teams.
GCC Wide Airspace Restrictions and Their Ripple Effects
The GCC states have taken a coordinated stance at times of acute crisis, and this has had a direct impact on flight paths. During the June 2025 episode, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were among the countries that either partially or fully closed their airspace, according to aviation risk consultancies that monitor real time conditions. Satellite based flight tracking showed a near total absence of commercial aircraft across large swathes of the Gulf at the peak of the shutdown, with traffic diverted to the north and south.
When multiple Gulf states simultaneously restrict access, airlines must reconfigure not just individual routes but entire networks. Long haul flights between Asia, Europe and North America that rely on Gulf hubs for connectivity can become more complex to schedule, with some carriers choosing to bypass the region altogether during sensitive periods. Travel agents in markets such as Australia and Europe reported a rise in customers asking to avoid Middle East hubs in favour of stopovers in Southeast Asia, East Asia or southern Africa during the most intense phase of the crisis.
Even after formal airspace bans are lifted, residual congestion persists as rerouted flights return to their usual corridors and airlines work through aircraft and crew imbalances. This can lead to rolling delays at GCC hubs, with some flights operating on revised timings for several days. Travellers passing through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha or Riyadh during or immediately after a disruption should be prepared for tight connections to be retimed or missed, and for airlines to offer alternative routings where necessary.
How Major Gulf Carriers Are Adjusting Schedules
Flag carriers across the GCC have adopted similar broad principles: suspend flights to the highest risk destinations, avoid overflying active conflict zones, and maintain services on core routes where feasible, while emphasising that safety is the overriding priority. Emirates, based in Dubai, has temporarily halted operations to Iranian and Iraqi cities such as Tehran, Baghdad and Basra during periods of elevated risk, while generally keeping its global long haul network intact by using alternative routings.
Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi has cancelled services to Tel Aviv and paused or adjusted flights to destinations including Beirut and Amman during specific windows, relying on updated threat assessments and airspace notices issued by regulators. Budget carriers flydubai and Air Arabia have also implemented broad suspensions to parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel and selected former Soviet republics at various points since mid 2025, sometimes extending these measures through the end of a given month in line with civil aviation directives.
These decisions are often taken on short notice, as airlines respond to sudden airspace closures or new advisories from their state regulators and international aviation bodies. As a traveller, this means that a flight which appears confirmed days in advance can still be retimed or cancelled within hours of departure if the security picture deteriorates. Airlines have generally encouraged passengers to monitor their booking status online rather than relying solely on original itineraries printed or issued well ahead of travel.
The Role of European and North American Carriers
Non Gulf airlines have also significantly reshaped their Middle East operations in response to geopolitical tensions. Carriers such as KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Air Canada and United Airlines have at various times since late 2025 suspended flights to destinations including Dubai, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Tel Aviv and Tehran, particularly when routes would have required transiting airspace near conflict zones. Some of these suspensions were initially open ended, with airlines later resuming services once they judged the security situation to have stabilised.
By late January 2026, signs of normalisation had emerged. KLM, which had been among the most cautious, began restoring flights to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Israel, operating to Dubai on specified dates with an adjusted schedule and emphasising that it was continuously monitoring developments. Lufthansa has maintained a more conservative posture on Iran, extending a suspension of Tehran flights into late March 2026, while still operating to other Middle East destinations with altered routings that avoid Iranian and Iraqi skies.
These shifts by European and North American carriers have practical implications for travellers whose journeys do not involve Gulf airlines directly. A passenger flying from Europe to Asia via Dubai, for example, may find that their local European carrier has altered or temporarily suspended its Dubai service, even if Emirates or another Gulf carrier continues to operate. In some cases, it may be necessary to rebook onto alternative routings, either through different hubs or on different alliance partners that are still serving the region.
Operational Realities: Rerouting, Longer Flights and GPS Interference
Beyond outright cancellations, one of the most visible impacts for passengers has been longer flight times due to rerouting around sensitive areas. Airlines that previously crossed Iran or Iraq on direct tracks between Europe and the Gulf, or between the Gulf and parts of Asia, are now frequently opting for northern or southern detours. Aviation information services have documented flights tracking via the Caspian Sea and Central Asia, or alternatively via the Red Sea and Egypt, to maintain acceptable safety margins.
These longer routes add fuel burn and may edge aircraft and crew closer to their duty limits, which in turn increases the risk of knock on delays. A late arriving aircraft on an extended Middle East sector can easily cascade into delayed departures on subsequent flights, especially at busy hubs where turnaround slots are tight. Occasional diversions for unrelated operational reasons, such as medical emergencies, can become more complicated to recover from when the surrounding airspace is constrained or when onward flights have limited flexibility to make up time.
A further challenge highlighted by flight tracking platforms and risk consultancies has been a spike in GPS jamming and spoofing around political hotspots, including the Persian Gulf. Such interference can cause temporary discrepancies between an aircraft’s actual position and satellite navigation inputs, requiring flight crews to rely more heavily on alternative systems and enhanced procedural safeguards. While commercial aircraft are designed with multiple layers of redundancy, and airlines insist that safety margins remain robust, the additional complexity adds to the operational burden in an already challenging environment.
What Travellers Through Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the GCC Should Do
For passengers booking or taking flights through Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other GCC hubs during this period of heightened tension, preparation and flexibility are essential. The single most important step is to stay in close touch with your airline through official channels. Airlines in the region are updating their online flight status tools and mobile apps regularly as airspace advisories change, and many encourage travellers to register contact details so that they can receive email, SMS or app notifications if a schedule is modified.
It is also wise to build additional time into itineraries involving connections through Gulf hubs, particularly if those connections are tight. Where possible, selecting longer layovers can provide a buffer against minor delays or longer than expected taxi and deplaning times. For complex multi segment journeys, travellers may want to consider booking through tickets on a single airline or alliance, which generally makes it easier to be reprotected onto alternative flights in case of disruption, rather than stitching together separate tickets across different carriers.
Travel insurance that includes cover for travel disruption due to security incidents or airspace closures can be valuable, though travellers should read the fine print carefully. Some policies exclude civil unrest or war related events, while others offer limited benefits such as accommodation or rebooking support if flights are cancelled for security reasons. Keeping receipts and records of any out of pocket expenses incurred due to flight changes will help when it comes time to file claims.
Outlook: A Region in Flux but Still Open for Transit
Looking ahead from February 2026, there is no indication that the broader geopolitical tensions affecting Middle East air travel will disappear quickly. Episodes of confrontation between Iran and its rivals, along with periodic flare ups in neighbouring conflict zones, are likely to continue influencing airspace advisories and airline risk assessments. For the aviation industry, that means a sustained emphasis on flexible flight planning, redundant routing options and constant coordination with military and civil aviation authorities.
Yet it is equally clear that Dubai, Abu Dhabi and their GCC counterparts intend to remain central to the global air transport system. The rapid restoration of full airport operations after the June 2025 airspace closures, and the willingness of airlines to reshape routings rather than abandon key markets entirely, underline the resilience of the Gulf hub model. While certain point to point links, particularly to more sensitive destinations, may remain suspended or reduced, the main long haul corridors that feed the region’s hubs are expected to stay open, albeit with occasional detours.
For travellers, the message is nuanced rather than alarmist. Flying through Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other GCC hubs remains broadly safe and feasible, but it demands more attentiveness than in calmer times. Staying informed, booking with flexibility where possible and understanding that schedules can change at short notice will be key to navigating the months ahead as Middle East carriers and their global partners balance connectivity with caution in an evolving security landscape.