Airlines Gradually Resume Middle East Flights Following Geopolitical De-escalation

Airlines are progressively resuming flights to the Middle East, with several major carriers updating their schedules as geopolitical tensions in the region ease. Disruptions began earlier this year following a period of heightened conflict involving Iran and the United States, leading to temporary airport closures and flight groundings.

British Airways has announced plans to gradually reintroduce services. The airline has suspended flights to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Tel Aviv, and Riyadh. Passengers with bookings from June 2 onward can rebook or postpone travel without a change fee, though fare differences may apply. Services to Doha are scheduled to restart on August 1, with flights to Riyadh, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain, and Amman set to resume on October 25.

Wizz Air has already reinstated its full schedule to and from Tel Aviv, including a daily service from London Luton. However, flights to Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia remain suspended, with the airline monitoring developments and maintaining contact with authorities. The airline emphasizes that passenger safety is its highest priority.

easyJet initially postponed its Tel Aviv route until the winter following the conflict. No recent updates on this specific route have been provided.

Air France-KLM is adjusting its Middle East operations. KLM has suspended flights to Riyadh, Dammam, and Dubai until August 9. Air France has suspended its Dubai flights until July 5 and its routes to Tel Aviv and Beirut until June 30.

Delta Air Lines has canceled its Atlanta-Tel Aviv services until December 18 but plans to resume New York-JFK to Tel Aviv flights on September 6. Its Boston to Tel Aviv flight, originally planned for October, has been delayed indefinitely.

Cathay Pacific has suspended flights to Dubai and Riyadh until August 31.

The Lufthansa Group is also phasing in its return. Lufthansa flights to Tel Aviv are slated to resume on July 1, with SWISS planning a return in August and Brussels Airlines on October 24. Lufthansa and SWISS flights to Dubai are suspended until September 13. Routes operated by Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, and Tehran are suspended until October 24. ITA Airways will not resume flights to Riyadh until July 31 and to Dubai until October 24. Eurowings aims to restart flights to Tel Aviv by July 9, with Beirut and Erbil flights suspended until June 30, and Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman routes paused until October 24.

Norwegian Air has indefinitely suspended the launch of its Beirut and Tel Aviv routes.

Malaysia Airlines will resume limited capacity flights to Doha from June 2.

Singapore Airlines has suspended routes from Singapore to Dubai until August 2.

Japan Airlines flights from Tokyo to Doha are suspended until August 31, with the return service to Tokyo resuming on September 1.

Finnair has cancelled Doha flights until October 2 and will continue to avoid airspace over Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Israel. Dubai flights are scheduled to resume in October.

Aegean Airlines stopped flights from Thessaloniki to Tel Aviv until June 26. Routes to Dubai are suspended until August 31, and to Baghdad and Erbil until September 30.

In the UAE, Emirates is operating approximately 80 percent of its pre-conflict network. The airline offers multiple daily direct flights from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Manchester, with at least one daily flight from London Stansted, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. It also operates five weekly flights from Newcastle, totaling 110 weekly flights between the UK and Dubai.

For travelers seeking alternatives, connecting flights are available through other hubs. Qatar Airways flies to Dubai via Doha, Etihad Airways operates services through Abu Dhabi, and Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Dubai via Istanbul.