Gulf Carriers Gradually Resume Operations Amid Iran Conflict
Following the airspace closures triggered by the military conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran in late February 2026, major Gulf carriers, Qatar Airways and Etihad, are gradually resuming limited flight operations. On March 10, 2026, Qatar Airways confirmed it will operate flights to 15 destinations, a significant increase from just 9 destinations on March 9.
Destinations include London Heathrow, Delhi, Madrid, Frankfurt, Manila, Mumbai, and Istanbul. The services are gradually expanding as the Qatari airspace reopens under the approval of the civil aviation authority. Etihad has also updated its schedule for March 9-12, 2026, adding more flights as Abu Dhabi operations stabilize.
Described as the largest single-event impact on global air travel since the COVID-19 pandemic, the disruption has affected Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, which usually process approximately 90,000 passengers per day under normal operations. Travel industry analyst, Henry Harteveldt, referred to the situation as “the most chaotic event we’ve seen frankly since 9/11.”
Several airlines, including Delta, United, Emirates, and Lufthansa, have issued travel waivers. Some are even allowing rebooking without fare differences through early 2027. This conflict poses a threat to the $11.7 trillion global travel industry, especially with the FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States in just three months.
Source: Loyalty Lobby