As Middle Eastern air routes remain virtually closed for the third straight day, certain United Arab Emirates (UAE) airlines have started limited flights again.
As reported by AP News on the 3rd, Emirates, based in Dubai, Etihad Airways, from Abu Dhabi, and the budget airline flydubai have started running certain flights. UAE aviation officials have also allowed special flights to carry passengers who were stuck.
After U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran, followed by Iranian counterattacks, major airport hubs in the Gulf have progressively shut down their airspace or significantly cut back activities. Nevertheless, specific flights and temporary operations to evacuate stranded travelers have been gradually implemented since the 2nd. That said, most standard commercial routes are still not operating.
On the same day, The Guardian stated, “Thousands of flights have been cancelled over three days, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stuck,” and noted, “This situation represents the worst air travel disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Guardian referenced data from the aviation analytics company Cirium, which reported, “By 5 a.m. on the 2nd, around 1,700 flights to the Middle East had been cancelled, although the true extent of the cancellations could be higher because of limited information from Iran and the UAE.”
The halt in air freight transportation has also triggered worries, with fears that the issue might develop into a “logistics emergency” if it continues. FedEx, the leading global express delivery company, stated on its website on the 1st, “We have stopped all flights to and from key Middle Eastern nations, such as Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, and temporarily paused pickup and delivery operations in certain areas.” The company further mentioned, “We are keeping a close eye on the situation and will restart services once safety is confirmed.”
Prominent Middle Eastern freight airlines, such as Qatar Airways, Emirates SkyCargo, and Etihad Airways, have also suspended services or taken alternative routes because of the closure of major airport hubs. As reported by the Dutch consultancy Rotate, global air cargo availability has dropped by 18% compared to the prior week due to the interruption of Middle Eastern flight paths. Industry experts caution that “the mix of higher fuel expenses from extended routes and lower cargo capacity is expected to cause a significant increase in shipping costs, especially on Asia-Europe routes.”
Domestic airlines are also keeping a close eye on the situation involving the tensions. Korean Air has chosen not to fly to Dubai until the 5th, and will decide soon if services will resume. Korean Air is the sole South Korean airline offering a direct route to the Middle East, specifically the Incheon-Dubai line, which operates daily round-trip flights (seven times per week).
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