Airlines Extend Flight Restrictions to UAE and Middle East Amid Iran War
Why It MattersProlonged, staggered suspensions across major carriers signal sustained disruption to Middle East hub connectivity, forcing airlines to manage extended rebooking and rerouting obligations into 2027.
International airlines are continuing to adjust flight schedules to the United Arab Emirates and other Middle Eastern destinations because of airspace restrictions linked to the war with Iran. Wizz Air has suspended flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi until October 24, while Air France has resumed regular flights to Tel Aviv but suspended service to Beirut until September 25, to Riyadh until September 28, and to Dubai until October 13. British Airways plans to resume daily London–Dubai flights on November 3, though its Abu Dhabi service is not expected to restart until the 2027–2028 winter season.
Cathay Pacific has extended its suspension of flights to Dubai and Riyadh until November 30, and Singapore Airlines will not operate to Dubai until October 24. Virgin Atlantic has suspended its Dubai route until October 2027, Air Canada has extended cancellations of Tel Aviv and Dubai flights until mid-January 2027, and Finnair will not fly to Dubai or Doha until March 27, 2027. KLM has suspended flights to Riyadh, Dammam, and Dubai until October 24 while resuming Tel Aviv service with an overnight crew stop in Larnaca, Cyprus, and Korean Air is keeping its Incheon–Dubai route suspended indefinitely.
The Lufthansa Group plans to gradually resume Dubai connections from late October, with Lufthansa restarting flights from Munich on October 25 and from Frankfurt on October 26. Swiss will resume daily Zurich–Dubai flights on October 27, Austrian Airlines will restart Vienna–Dubai service on December 12, and Eurowings has scheduled resumptions from Berlin, Stuttgart, and Cologne in November. Turkish Airlines has already resumed flights to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Damascus, Beirut, and Amman, though flights to Tehran remain suspended, and Philippine Airlines has resumed the Manila–Doha route but will not fly to Dubai until October 2. Carriers that have announced measures for affected passengers are offering rebooking, rerouting, or refunds depending on ticket conditions.
