Gulf Carriers Gradually Resume Limited Air Services

Airlines based in the United Arab Emirates, including Emirates and Etihad Airways, have begun restoring a limited number of flights to major international destinations from their hubs in the UAE. The partial resumption comes as carriers face growing challenges due to ongoing security concerns in the Middle East, particularly the risk of missile and drone activity linked to the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Large portions of regional airspace remain restricted, forcing airlines and governments to make special arrangements to help thousands of travellers leave the region. Authorities have been organising charter flights and securing seats on the limited commercial services that are still operating in order to assist stranded passengers.

A repatriation flight arranged by the French government and operated by Air France was forced to return mid-journey on Thursday after missile activity was reported in the area, according to France’s Transport Minister, Philippe Tabarot. He noted that the incident highlights the volatile conditions in the region and the difficulties involved in organising evacuation operations.

Meanwhile, the first repatriation flight for British nationals departing from Oman successfully arrived at London Stansted Airport early Friday morning after earlier delays caused by operational and boarding issues.

Etihad, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, confirmed that it plans to run a restricted flight schedule until March 19. The airline said services will connect Abu Dhabi with around 70 destinations worldwide, including cities such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Delhi, New York City, Toronto and Tel Aviv.

At the same time, operations at Dubai International Airport—usually the world’s busiest international hub—have gradually picked up. According to aviation tracking platform Flightradar24, flight movements on Thursday nearly doubled compared to the previous day, although overall activity remained at only about 25 percent of normal levels.

Emirates also confirmed that it is currently running a reduced schedule to 82 destinations worldwide, including London, Sydney, Singapore and New York City. The airline added that passengers travelling through Dubai will only be accepted if their onward connecting flights are confirmed to be operating.

The disruption has had a particularly strong impact on travellers flying between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows that Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad together typically carry about one-third of passengers travelling from Europe to Asia, and more than half of those flying from Europe to destinations such as Australia, New Zealand and nearby Pacific islands.

While Doha’s main hub remains closed, Qatar Airways has been arranging a small number of special relief flights departing from neighbouring countries including Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Cirium’s data further revealed the scale of disruption across the region. Between February 28—when the conflict escalated—and March 5, more than 44,000 flights had been scheduled across Middle Eastern airports, but over 25,000 of them were cancelled.

In response to the travel disruption, Malaysia Airlines announced it will operate additional flights between Kuala Lumpur and both London and Paris from Friday through Sunday. Similarly, SriLankan Airlines said it plans to run an extra service between Colombo and London on Sunday to help accommodate affected passengers.