SalamAir: Oman’s SalamAir is putting on flights between Fujairah International Airport and Muscat, with connecting journey’s to Lucknow, Calicut, Hyderabad, Istanbul, Karachi, and Cairo. Tickets should be purchased directly from the airline’s website or an authorised travel agency.
Kuwait Airways: Commercial arrivals and departures at Kuwait International Airport (KWI) are currently on hold. Kuwaiti citizens with existing bookings with the airline are being flown to Jeddah as part of an emergency repatriation plan. From Saudi Arabia, passengers are required to complete the final leg of their journey to Kuwait by land.
Air Canada: Air Canada has cancelled all flights to Dubai through March 28 and suspended service to Tel Aviv through May 2. Passengers with flights booked through March 15 to Abu Dhabi (AUH), Amman (AMM), Beirut (BEY), Dammam (DMM), and Erbil (EBL) can change their trip to another date between now and March 31, 2026.
Which countries have closed their airspace?
The United Arab Emirates has partially reopened its airspace, with a limited number of repatriation flights currently operating from the country’s main airports. Dubai Airports, the authority that oversees both Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC), are operating a small number of flights. Passengers are urged to not go to the airport unless they have been directly contacted by their airline about rebooking.
Qatar has partially reopened its airspace to allow a limited number of repatriation flights to take place; however, scheduled commercial flights remain temporarily suspended.
Iran, Iraq, Israel, and Bahrain have all closed their airspace. Kuwait has also closed its airspace, and has reported a drone attack on its airport. Kuwait’s Public Authority for Civil Aviation said the attack caused “minor injuries to several employees and limited material damage to Terminal 1.”
According to the US Department of State, Saudi Arabia‘s airspace is open with commercial flights currently operating out of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran, despite significant flight cancellations and operational delays. “Americans should strongly consider departing on one of these flights if they believe it is safe to do so,” the agency said in a March 8 alert.
Which destinations are impacted?
The impact has widened to include major regional hubs and key transit corridors:
- Tel Aviv: Israeli airspace remains heavily restricted, with many international carriers continuing to suspend services or pause routes.
- Dubai and Abu Dhabi: UAE airspace has partially reopened, with a limited number of flights operating from Dubai International (DXB), Dubai World Central (DWC) and Zayed International Airport (AUH). Services remain selective and passengers are being contacted directly by airlines if booked on operating flights.
- Iran and Iraq: Airspace remains closed or largely avoided by international airlines, with most carriers continuing to reroute around both countries.
- Kuwait: Airspace remains closed and commercial operations at Kuwait International Airport are suspended following a drone strike that damaged Terminal 1.
- Doha: Qatari airspace remains closed; however, the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority has approved limited operating corridors for repatriation flights.
- Bahrain: Bahraini airspace remains closed as mandated by the Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority.
How will this impact my flight?
Travelers should expect a range of practical disruptions, including:
