War in the Middle East: flights for Emirates and Qatar Airways still only partially resumed
Souleymane Enok
The war in the Middle East continues to profoundly disrupt international air traffic, particularly in a region that is strategic for connections between Asia, Europe, and Africa. Since the end of February 2026, military tensions and attacks in several Gulf countries have led to the partial closure of numerous airspaces, disrupting the operations of some of the world's most important airlines.
Among the most affected players are Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways, whose hubs located in Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi play a central role in global air transport. These hubs usually serve as major connecting points for millions of travelers transiting between Europe and Asia.
When tensions flared in the region, several countries immediately closed their airspace as a security measure. The Dubai hub, considered one of the most important international airports in the world, saw its activity drop sharply. Within hours, thousands of flights were canceled or suspended, causing a collapse of air traffic in the Gulf.
This situation had immediate consequences for travelers. Tens of thousands of passengers found themselves stranded, both in the Middle East and in several Asian countries. Gulf airlines usually carry a very large proportion of passengers connecting Asia to Europe. When their hubs are paralyzed, the entire international air network is disrupted.
After several days of observation and reorganization, some airlines have, however, begun to gradually resume their operations. Repatriation flights were first organized to evacuate travelers stranded in the region. In some cases, airlines used alternative routes via Oman or Saudi Arabia to bypass the most sensitive areas.
Since the beginning of March, the situation has been evolving slowly. Emirates has gradually relaunched a portion of its flight schedule, while other airlines such as Etihad or Qatar Airways are also attempting to resume operations, albeit at very different paces.
The figures show that the recovery remains limited. According to data from Flightradar24, some airlines are operating only a fraction of their usual flights, which means that air traffic in the region remains severely disrupted.
Despite these difficulties, some signs of improvement are appearing. Several airspaces are beginning to reopen gradually, such as that of Bahrain, allowing airlines to restore certain air routes.
However, industry experts remain cautious. As long as the geopolitical situation remains unstable, airlines will have to continue to adapt their routes and limit their operations, which slows down the full recovery of traffic.
In this article, we review the still-limited recovery of Emirates and Qatar Airways flights, the state of air traffic in the Gulf, and the consequences for travelers between Europe and Asia.
What is the current status of the flight recovery for Emirates and Qatar Airways?
Since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East in late February 2026, the air transport sector in the Gulf has been going through a period of severe disruption. Airspace closures, security threats, and attacks in the region have caused a temporary collapse of air traffic, particularly for airlines that use major Gulf hubs as connecting platforms between Asia and Europe.
Among the most impacted airlines are Emirates and Qatar Airways, two major players in international transport. While flights are gradually resuming, the situation remains far from a full return to normal.
Emirates: a gradual but still limited recovery
The airline Emirates, based in Dubai, was particularly affected by the disruptions related to the conflict. Dubai International Airport, considered one of the largest airport hubs in the world, had to drastically reduce its operations following the temporary closure of regional airspace.
In the first days of the crisis, a large part of Emirates' flight schedule was suspended. According to data from Flightradar24, the airline was only carrying out about 25% of its usual flights at the beginning of March 2026.
However, the situation began to improve gradually. On March 2, 2026, Emirates announced a partial resumption of its operations, with a gradual restart of several international routes.
The figures show a notable improvement:
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On March 4, 2026, the airline was operating approximately 25.5% of its usual schedule.
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On March 12, 2026, this rate had risen to more than 60% of normally operated flights.
This recovery remains partial, however, as some destinations remain suspended or heavily reduced. Priority has been given to strategic connections, particularly those linking the Gulf to Europe.
Currently, Emirates operates, for example, three daily flights between Dubai and Paris, as well as one daily flight to Nice, which is gradually allowing the restoration of flows between Europe and the Middle East.
The airline has also reopened its international connections, but only when the entire route can be ensured without interruption.
(Source: Flightradar24 data, March 2026)
Qatar Airways: a much slower recovery
The situation is more complex for Qatar Airways, whose main hub is located in Doha. Qatar's airspace is considered to be more exposed to regional tensions, which is strongly slowing down the resumption of operations.
Unlike Emirates, which managed to relaunch a significant part of its network, Qatar Airways remains very limited in its flight schedule.
According to data from Flightradar24, the airline currently only carries out about 8% of its usual activity, which shows the scale of the disruptions.
Initially, the authorities authorized only repatriation flights to allow stranded travelers to return home. These flights began as early as March 5, 2026, but commercial operations still remain largely suspended.
The gradual recovery depends mainly on the stabilization of the security situation in the region and the complete reopening of certain airspaces.
(Source: Flightradar24, March 2026)
Air traffic still fragile in the region
Even if some airlines are resuming their activities, air traffic in the Gulf remains very disrupted. The figures show that several carriers are operating well below their usual capacity.
Here, for example, are the recovery rates observed on March 12, 2026:
| Airline | Estimated recovery rate |
|---|---|
| Emirates | 61% |
| Qatar Airways | 8% |
| Etihad Airways | 13% |
| flydubai | 38% |
| Air Arabia | 59% |
(Source: Flightradar24)
These figures show that the recovery remains highly uneven depending on the airline. Some have managed to restore a significant part of their network, while others must still operate at highly reduced capacity.
The full return to normal will depend mainly on the evolution of the geopolitical situation in the region and the total reopening of airspaces.
For now, airlines continue to adopt a cautious approach, gradually increasing their flights while monitoring the security situation.
How has the Gulf airspace closure disrupted global traffic?
The partial closure of Gulf airspace has had repercussions well beyond the Middle East. Indeed, this region plays a central role in global air traffic, especially for connections linking Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. When several countries simultaneously close their airspace for security reasons, the entire international network is disrupted.
Airlines must then modify their routes, cancel flights, or reorganize their connections, which leads to significant consequences for the entire air transport industry.
First of all, the closure of several airspaces in the Gulf caused the interruption of numerous strategic air routes. Flights connecting Asia to Europe generally pass over this region or use the hubs of Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi as transit points.
When these areas become inaccessible, airlines must redesign their flight paths in order to avoid sensitive areas. Aircraft are then forced to bypass the region by using routes further North, via Central Asia, or further South, bypassing the Arabian Peninsula.
These detours can extend flights by one to two hours, which increases fuel consumption and complicates schedule management for airlines.
The closure of the Gulf hubs also caused a domino effect on international connections. The airports of Dubai and Doha are among the largest hubs in the world, welcoming tens of millions of transit passengers each year.
When these platforms operate at a slow pace or suspend part of their operations, thousands of connections become impossible. Passengers must then be redirected to other routes, which leads to rapid saturation of certain direct flights.
Consequently, airlines that do not fly through the Gulf saw their flights become full quickly, especially on direct links between Asia and Europe. Booking platforms were overwhelmed by travelers seeking alternatives.
This situation also leads to an increase in airline ticket prices. When the supply of seats decreases and demand remains strong, fares naturally increase. In some cases, prices can double for long-haul flights, particularly on trips booked in an emergency.
Finally, the disruptions in the Gulf have a global impact on air transport logistics. Airlines must reposition their aircraft, modify crew rotations, and adapt their flight schedules. This can cause chain reaction delays in other parts of the world.
In summary, the closure of Gulf airspace disrupts global traffic because this region constitutes a central point of international air transport. When these routes become unavailable, airlines must reorganize their entire network, which directly affects travelers, ticket prices, and the flow of air traffic.
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Can air traffic between Europe and Asia return to normal quickly?
Air traffic between Europe and Asia is highly dependent on the geopolitical stability of the Middle East, a region that serves as a strategic passage for many international flight routes. When military tensions erupt in this area, as is currently the case, airlines must adapt their operations, which significantly slows the return to a normal situation.
Even though some airlines have begun to gradually resume their flights, a complete return to normal cannot be immediate. Several factors explain why the recovery of air traffic remains gradual.
The first factor concerns airspace security. Civil aviation authorities constantly monitor conflict zones to avoid any risk to commercial aircraft. When attacks or military tensions persist in a region, certain parts of the sky may remain closed or highly restricted.
In this context, airlines often continue to use longer alternative routes, even if airports are beginning to reopen. This situation limits the carriers' ability to restore all of their flights.
Another important element concerns the reorganization of flight networks. When a conflict disrupts a key region like the Gulf, airlines must modify their flight schedules, reposition their aircraft, and reorganize their crew rosters.
Even when the situation improves, it often takes several weeks to restore the entire flight network. Aircraft that have been diverted to other routes must be returned to their regular paths, and connections must be gradually re-established.
Traveler demand also plays an important role. During periods of crisis, some passengers prefer to postpone their trips or change their itineraries, which can slow down traffic recovery. Airlines must therefore adapt their capacity according to actual demand.
Furthermore, recent disruptions may have an economic impact on airlines. The detours imposed on aircraft increase fuel consumption and operating costs. To offset these expenses, some airlines may maintain higher fares or temporarily reduce the number of flights.
Finally, the return to normal will depend above all on the evolution of the conflict in the region. If the geopolitical situation stabilizes and airspaces are fully reopened, airlines will be able to gradually restore their regular routes between Europe and Asia.
However, in the aviation sector, caution is always required. Carriers generally prefer to gradually increase their flights rather than immediately resuming their full schedule.
In summary, air traffic between Europe and Asia can return to its normal level, but it will likely take time. The recovery will depend mainly on the stability of the region, the complete reopening of airspaces, and the ability of airlines to reorganize their flight networks.
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