Saudi Arabia Joins UAE, Oman and Qatar as Major Airports Across the Middle East Remain Open While Airlines Resume Limited Flights Amid Ongoing Regional Airspace Disruptions: New Updates You Need to Know
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Saudi Arabia has joined the UAE, Oman, and Qatar in keeping major airports open while airlines resume limited flights amidst ongoing regional airspace disruptions caused by the conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel, which forced temporary airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and parts of the Gulf, causing airlines to cancel, divert, or delay flights. Major airports in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar continue to operate in spite of these difficulties to facilitate repatriation flights, necessary travel, and a few commercial services. Travellers are urged to regularly check flight status as itineraries continue to alter throughout the Middle East aviation network. Airlines are progressively reopening routes while closely monitoring safety circumstances.
Are Saudi Arabia’s Airports Still Operating During the Middle East Airspace Crisis?
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Yes, Saudi Arabia’s airports remain open, though airline operations are heavily disrupted. Major hubs including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam continue operating. Saudia partially resumed flights to Dubai with four services: SV596 (Riyadh–Dubai), SV588 (Jeddah–Dubai), SV597 (Dubai–Riyadh) and SV589 (Dubai–Jeddah). Meanwhile Flynas suspended flights to several regional destinations until 15 March, and Flyadeal cancelled flights to Amman, Damascus and Dubai until 12 March. Other airlines such as Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, Air China, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways and SriLankan Airlines issued mixed advisories or selective operations across Saudi airports.
Saudi Arabia’s national airline Saudia has begun restoring flights, initially operating limited services on Riyadh–Dubai and Jeddah–Dubai routes with flights SV596 and SV588, along with inbound services SV597 and SV589 connecting Dubai with Saudi Arabia.
International airlines are also gradually restoring connectivity through Saudi Arabia. Carriers including Emirates, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa Group, Air India and Air India Express continue operating selected services to Riyadh and Jeddah as schedules cautiously return.
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Additional airlines serving Saudi Arabia include Malaysia Airlines, IndiGo, Akasa Air and Hainan Airlines operating limited or selective routes to Jeddah and nearby cities, showing how Saudi airports remain among the region’s active aviation hubs during the disruption.
Saudi Arabia – Airlines Operating Status (March 2026)
| Airline | Operational Status | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Saudia | Partial resumption | Dubai flights resumed including SV596, SV588, SV597 and SV589 |
| Flynas | Suspended routes | Flights to Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Sharjah and Syria suspended until 15 March |
| Flyadeal | Suspended routes | Flights to Amman, Damascus and Dubai suspended until 12 March |
| Akasa Air | Partial operations | Select flights resumed to Jeddah from multiple Indian cities |
| Air India | Operating | 14 flights scheduled to and from Jeddah on 10 March |
| Air India Express | Operating | 14 flights scheduled between Muscat and Indian cities |
| Air China | Resumed operations | Beijing–Riyadh route restarted |
| Air France | Suspended temporarily | Riyadh flights cancelled until 12 March |
| Malaysia Airlines | Operating | Services resumed to Jeddah and Madinah |
| Philippine Airlines | Cancelled flights | Manila–Riyadh flights cancelled on 10 and 12 March |
| Qatar Airways | Limited operations | Partial Doha–Jeddah services |
| SriLankan Airlines | Operating | Daily Riyadh flights resumed |
| Gulf Air | Suspended network | Limited special flights via Dammam |
| KLM | Suspended temporarily | Riyadh and Dammam flights suspended until 10 March |
| LOT Polish Airlines | Cancelled | Riyadh flights cancelled until 16 March |
| IndiGo | Suspended temporarily | Flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam cancelled until 11 March |
Are Airports in the United Arab Emirates Still Open for Flights?
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Yes, airports in the United Arab Emirates remain open but flight operations are limited due to regional airspace disruptions. Emirates has restarted most of its network and by 9 March was flying to 84 destinations, aiming to restore full operations soon. flydubai continues a reduced schedule from Dubai International Airport Terminals 2 and 3, while Etihad Airways operates limited services from Abu Dhabi with additional flights planned from 10 March. Air Arabia is running selected flights to destinations including Austria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Italy, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, although several international carriers including Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Lufthansa Group, KLM, Finnair and Norwegian suspended services to Dubai.
Dubai International Airport currently hosts operations from Emirates, flydubai, Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and Air China, all running reduced schedules while airspace corridors reopen across the region.
Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai is also functioning with limited operations. Airlines such as Emirates and flydubai have routed selected flights through the airport as part of the gradual recovery of Dubai’s aviation network.
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At Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways has resumed a restricted global schedule, while Air Arabia, Air India Express and IndiGo are also operating limited services from the UAE to destinations across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
United Arab Emirates – Airlines Operating Status (March 2026)
| Airline | Operational Status | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Emirates | Limited schedule operating | Serving around 84 destinations while gradually restoring its global network |
| flydubai | Reduced schedule | Flights operating from Dubai International Airport (Terminals 2 & 3) with rerouted paths |
| Etihad Airways | Limited services | Operating restricted flights from Abu Dhabi with more services added after 10 March |
| Air Arabia | Limited flights | Operating selected routes from UAE to Austria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Italy, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey |
| Virgin Atlantic | Suspended | Seasonal London–Dubai service cancelled for remainder of winter |
| British Airways | Suspended from UAE | Unable to operate from Dubai and Abu Dhabi; additional Muscat–London flights added |
| Lufthansa Group | Suspended temporarily | Flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi suspended until 10 March |
| KLM | Suspended temporarily | Dubai flights suspended until 10 March |
| Finnair | Cancelled | Dubai flights cancelled until 29 March |
| Norwegian | Cancelled | Dubai services cancelled until 12 March |
Why Has Oman Become a Key Aviation Gateway During the Crisis?
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Oman has become a key aviation gateway because its airspace and airports remain operational while many neighbouring countries faced restrictions. Muscat International Airport, Salalah Airport and Sohar Airport continue operating normally, allowing airlines to use Oman as an alternative transit point. Oman Air cancelled flights between 9 and 15 March to Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab, but added extra services and flexible rebooking options up to 29 March. Muscat has therefore become an important hub for rerouted passengers, although travellers are advised not to go to the airport without confirmed bookings due to rapidly changing schedules.
Muscat International Airport has become a crucial transit point for stranded travellers. Oman Air alone has operated nearly eighty additional flights in the past week and helped more than ninety-seven thousand passengers leave the region.
Airlines operating through Muscat currently include Oman Air, SalamAir, Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Qatar Airways, Finnair and China Eastern Airlines, making Muscat one of the busiest functioning aviation gateways in the Gulf.
Salalah and Sohar airports are also open and operating. While traffic remains lower than Muscat, both airports are being used primarily by Oman Air and SalamAir for regional services and alternative routes during the airspace disruptions.
Oman – Airlines Operating Status (March 2026)
| Airline | Operational Status | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oman Air | Partial operations | Flights to nine destinations cancelled between 9–15 March but extra services added |
| Oman Air | Additional flights | Extra flights added to assist stranded passengers and enable flexible rebooking |
| International carriers via Muscat | Limited operations | Muscat used cautiously as alternative transit hub |
| Muscat International Airport | Operational | Travellers advised not to go to airport without confirmed booking |
| Salalah Airport | Operational | Operating normally during regional disruptions |
| Sohar Airport | Operational | Open and available for airline operations |
Is Qatar Allowing Flights From Doha During the Ongoing Aviation Disruption?
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Yes, Qatar is allowing limited flights from Hamad International Airport in Doha, but operations remain restricted to repatriation services. Qatar Airways resumed flights on 9 March to Seoul, Moscow, London Heathrow, Delhi, Madrid, Islamabad, Beijing, Perth and Nairobi to help stranded passengers return home. Additional services between Doha and Jeddah were scheduled for 10–12 March, although travellers were warned not to travel to the airport unless contacted directly by the airline. Most foreign carriers suspended services to Doha due to airspace restrictions, leaving Qatar Airways as the primary airline operating during the crisis.
Qatar Airways is currently the primary airline operating from Doha, running limited services to destinations including Cairo, London, Jeddah, Muscat, Istanbul, Mumbai, Delhi, Nairobi, Islamabad, Madrid and Frankfurt.
These flights are mainly designed to help stranded passengers return home and maintain essential global connections while regional authorities continue monitoring the evolving security situation across Middle Eastern airspace.
For now, Qatar Airways remains the only airline operating commercial flights from Hamad International Airport, although more airlines are expected to resume operations gradually once regional airspace restrictions are lifted.
Qatar – Airlines Operating Status (March 2026)
| Airline | Operational Status | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar Airways | Limited repatriation flights | Flights operated from Doha to Seoul, Moscow, London, Delhi, Madrid, Islamabad, Beijing, Perth and Nairobi |
| Qatar Airways | Partial regional operations | Additional services between Doha and Jeddah planned 10–12 March |
| Foreign airlines | Mostly suspended | Many carriers cancelled flights due to restricted Qatari airspace |
| Hamad International Airport | Limited operations | Flights operating only through controlled airspace corridors |
Saudi Arabia joins UAE, Oman and Qatar as major airports across the Middle East remain open while airlines resume limited flights amid ongoing regional airspace disruptions caused by conflict and airspace closures, helping evacuate stranded travelers.
Saudi Arabia joins the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar as major Middle Eastern airports continue to operate while airlines resume limited flights amid ongoing regional airspace disruptions. The conflict in the region forced temporary airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and portions of the Gulf, forcing airlines to cancel or reroute numerous routes. Major airports in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar continue to operate in spite of these interruptions in order to accommodate limited airline schedules, maintain vital air traffic, and rescue stranded travellers. As airlines carefully resume flights, modify routes around restricted airspace, and attempt to rejoin international travel networks while continuously monitoring safety circumstances, aviation throughout the Middle East is steadily stabilising, as these recent developments you should be aware of demonstrate.
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