Air travel has resumed in several Middle Eastern countries after a temporary airspace closure on Monday due to an Iranian missile attack on a US military base in Qatar. However, the closure has resulted in widespread cancellations, delays and detours of flights, causing havoc at several affected airports as thousands of marginalized travelers face long delays and long lines.
Dozens of flights were cancelled, rerouted or repurposed on Monday to avoid countries including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. Some Saudi Arabia’s airspace near Qatar were also restricted, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.
Normally operations have since resumed at most affected airports, including Doha’s Hamad International Airport, one of the busiest flight hubs in the world, which reported a record 52.7 million passengers in 2024. Additionally, a provisional ceasefire will be established between Iran and Israel, which could help ease tensions in the region that hamper Israeli tensions.
How airlines and airports respond
It marks yet another hurdle, especially in the airspace closures on Monday, which came one day after the State Department issued a global attention travel warning to US citizens following US air attacks on Iran, particularly in the chapter on airspace closures, particularly the Middle East and beyond, marking yet another hurdle as the commercial aviation industry tackles the aftermath of several rich clashes.
Three major US airlines have issued travel exemptions for Middle East flights. American Airlines has issued flights, streets and exchange exemptions from Qatar in the United Arab Emirates and Doha and Dova in Dubai for travel through July 6th. Similarly, United Airlines offers re-booking options for Dubai flights purchased on June 17 or by June 3, and offers Tel Aviv flights for TelAviv flights to make travel during the trip on August 1. Until the end of August.
Several affected airports and airlines based in busy Middle Eastern flight corridors warned travelers about airspace closures via social media and the consequential disruptions, providing updates on passenger cancellations and status on additional information prior to travel.
Not surprising, Middle Eastern Airlines has been hit hardest. On Tuesday afternoon, Qatar Airways said it was in the process of restoring its services to 170 destinations on its global network via X.
“After the temporary closure of Qatar airspace on June 23, Qatar Airways is making progress by restoring its possible disruptive schedule until June 26,” Qatar Airways said in an online update.
Those on flights scheduled for Qatar Airways until June 30th can change their flights at no charge until July 15th or receive a full refund if they no longer choose to travel.
Emirates apologised for the confusion, saying in a post on X that he was working with the affected passengers to rebook and refund flights. The Dubai-based carrier followed a “full and careful risk assessment” and confirmed that it would “continue to operate flights as planned using flight routes that are distanced from the conflict area.”
Meanwhile, airlines based elsewhere in the Middle East have faced major challenges during the recent instability of the region. According to GuardianBritish Airways, Air France – KLM and Singapore Airlines cancelled their departure to their Middle Eastern destinations following a US missile attack on Iran over the weekend. British Airways had planned to resume services from Heathrow to Dubai and Doha, but only to combat airspace closures on Monday.
Finnea also discarded the rest of its June service from the hub in Helsinki to Doha. You cannot make reservations through the website until July. (The development follows a troubling month for Finland’s flagship airlines, which forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled in mid-June due to workers’ strikes at Helsinki Airport.)
What to look forward to in the future
“We’re committed to providing a great opportunity to help you,” said Michael Rogers, chief security analyst at International SOS, a global security and health risk management company, in an email. However, Rogers also recommended that travelers planning to fly to the Middle East to stay vigilant about upcoming trips, as the current landscape could change soon.
“The next 24-48 hours will remain unstable, potentially having a resumption of hostility and cascading the security and operational environment throughout the region, including the Commercial Air Force,” he said.
International SOS is closely monitoring the situation and shares real-time alerts and advisories with clients, Rogers told Afar. He added, “Travelers need to ensure access to verified real-time information and maintain preparations for potential short-term flight destruction in their event hostilities resume.”
