A limited number of flights are now leaving the Gulf following days of strikes between Israel, the US, and Iran.
Operation Epic Fury, as the US calls it, continues to target key sites across Iran, while the Iranian government has responded with missile attacks on regional US bases, as well as on infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Airspaces across the region have been closed, grounding thousands of flights and passengers. The situation remains volatile, but has now stabilised enough for some airlines to fly stranded passengers out of the Gulf. Emirates, Etihad, and flydubai suspended all flights following drone attacks on Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but have managed to operate extremely limited schedules to begin clearing passenger backlogs.
International carriers are also cautiously relaunching Gulf operations. British Airways announced that they will operate two flights from Oman to London Heathrow on 6 and 7 March, alongside supporting the UK government’s repatriation efforts. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic has resumed service to Dubai and Riyadh, albeit at a very reduced level.
According to Cirium, at least 11,000 flights destined to enter or leave the Middle East have been cancelled since the US and Israel launched their joint attack on Iran on 28 February. More than 1 million passengers have been impacted by the disruption, which has brought the Gulf’s bustling aviation hubs to a standstill. The region’s major airlines, including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, and Saudia, usually operate 1,500 flights a day, spanning 389,000 seats.
Airlines continue to operate flights between Europe and other locations in Asia and Africa, but are being forced to chart longer routes to avoid conflict zones. The disruption is set to continue for many weeks yet: General Dan Caine, the chairman of the US’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on 4 March that the war is “far from over”.
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