International routes from Gulf hubs, remain disrupted by ongoing conflict in the region for the thirteenth day.
Airspace closures now affect 11 countries across the Middle East and extending to Azerbaijan, including Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Bahrain, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Azerbaijan’s southern sector, creating a vast hole in global flight paths that forces long detours and escalates fuel costs for airlines worldwide.
Relief flights from Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai have resumed on a limited basis, offering a lifeline to thousands of stranded passengers, but operations are far from normal, with major carriers like Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and Emirates prioritising repatriation services over commercial schedules.
Etihad has extended suspensions of regular flights from Abu Dhabi until at least early March, while Emirates is gradually restoring services to about 84 destinations from Dubai, though many routes to Europe and Asia face ongoing cancellations.
Qatar Airways, operating from Doha, has shifted some relief efforts to nearby Muscat and Riyadh, allowing a trickle of departures, but the airline’s full network remains grounded amid safety concerns, with additional flights by operators like Air India stepping in to evacuate citizens from the United Arab Emirates.
These measures follow a wave of over 11,000 flight cancellations since late February, as Gulf airports struggle to recover from the initial shutdowns triggered by missile and drone activity.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has issued warnings against using airspace in these regions at all altitudes, citing extreme risks from military activities, while partial reopenings in the UAE and Qatar allow only vetted corridors for relief operations.
Prospects for broader reopening remain dim, with extensions announced for closures in Bahrain until 6 March, Israel until 9 March, and Azerbaijan’s affected area indefinitely following a drone strike on Nakhchivan airport that injured civilians and damaged infrastructure.
Governments, including those in Ireland, are coordinating repatriation flights, but passengers report harrowing difficulties, from hours long drives through desert terrain to reach alternative airports like Muscat, to soaring costs for private charters reaching up to €180,000, compounded by airport congestion, uncertain schedules, and the constant threat of renewed strikes that could halt progress.
Emotional reunions at European hubs highlight the human toll, as families endure prolonged separations amid the chaos, with analysts warning that full recovery could take weeks or months, potentially driving up ticket prices by 20pc as carriers absorb the financial hit.
As the conflict shows no signs of abating, the interplay between these distant disruptions, from Chicago’s capped skies to the Gulf’s fractured airways, underscores the fragility of interconnected global travel in an era of geopolitical tension.
Emifrates continue to serve Dubiin with one flight in each direction every day. Dublin airport cancellations today:
| Flights | Etihad | Qatar | Emirates |
| 28-Feb | 90 | 216 | 224 |
| 1-Mar | 4 | 3 | 24 |
| 2-Mar | 37 | 2 | 29 |
| 3-Mar | 28 | 5 | 70 |
| 4-Mar | 22 | 9 | 136 |
| 5-Mar | 31 | 14 | 214 |
| 6-Mar | 31 | 18 | 261 |
| 7-Mar | 43 | 34 | 252 |
| 8-Mar | 33 | 21 | 284 |
| 9-Mar | 61 | 42 | 326 |
| 10-Mar | 56 | 66 | 309 |
| 11-Mar | 53 | 72 | 303 |
