Middle East Flights Slowly Return as Airlines Rebuild Schedules

Airlines across the Middle East are gradually restoring flights after several days of disruption linked to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Emirates said it expects to return to full flight capacity within the coming days as regional airspace begins to reopen. The Dubai-based airline has been operating a reduced schedule while working to rebuild services across its international network.

During the initial phase of recovery, Emirates carried roughly 30,000 passengers out of Dubai in a single day. By the weekend the airline plans to run 106 daily return flights serving 83 destinations, representing close to 60 per cent of its route network. The company says operations will continue expanding once airspace restrictions ease and normal flight planning becomes possible again.

Airlines adjusting schedules across the region

• Emirates rebuilding its global schedule
• Etihad restarting limited services from Abu Dhabi
• Qatar Airways flights still suspended due to closed airspace
• British Airways operating special flights from Muscat
• Finnair organising flights to Helsinki for stranded passengers

Etihad Airways has also begun restarting flights from Abu Dhabi on a limited basis, listing more than seventy destinations scheduled between 6 and 19 March if conditions allow. Qatar Airways remains affected by the closure of Qatari airspace, though it has organised relief flights from Muscat and Riyadh to assist passengers unable to travel during the disruption.

As airlines restore routes, connections through Gulf hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi are gradually reopening. These hubs link Europe, Asia and Africa, so their recovery helps reconnect long-distance journeys. Once services stabilise, travellers will again have easier access to destinations across South Asia, the Indian Ocean and parts of Africa that rely heavily on Middle Eastern transit routes.

Airlines are still adjusting schedules as airspace restrictions change across the region. Even so, the return of flights shows that international travel through the Gulf may begin settling back into a more regular pattern in the coming days. Travellers planning trips through the Gulf in the coming weeks should keep checking airline updates, as routes and schedules may still change while services are being restored.