What travelers should know about flights across the Middle East
Air travel across the Middle East has been thrown off course by the U.S. and Israel’s joint war against Iran, with disruptions affecting not only flights into and out of the region but also travel that relies on Gulf airports as transit hubs. The situation has left many passengers stranded, and experts say flights scheduled in the coming days and weeks could continue to face interruptions as retaliatory strikes and other developments unfold.
Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, said the current disruptions are tied to conflict-zone airspace rather than routine schedule problems. “This is not a normal delay story. This is a conflict zone airspace story,” Shahidi said, adding that travelers should plan for changes “if not by the hour.” He said travelers should “absolutely expect uncertainty,” including last-minute guidance shifts from carriers, airports and governments.
Because the war has also affected airspace and routing decisions, many carriers have canceled flights outright or shifted to longer routes to avoid closed airspace. Shahidi said longer disruptions can produce ripple effects globally because Gulf aviation links connect travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia. As travel demand strains airline operations, experts said disruptions can also pressure costs and ticket prices, particularly if rerouting increases fuel and overhead expenses for longer periods.
Shahidi and other experts urged travelers to treat government advisories, airport notices and airline updates as essential, especially because developments since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks over the weekend have unfolded rapidly. Iran has said more than 1,000 people have been killed in the war so far, and travel guidance has been issued or updated by multiple governments as the situation changes.
The U.S. State Department urged all U.S. citizens to immediately leave Iran and Israel, as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, using any available commercial transportation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also pleaded for media coverage of ways to help Americans evacuate, and countries including China, Italy, France and Germany moved to organize evacuation efforts for their citizens.
Experts said travelers should also check changes from airports and airlines directly. Long-haul carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and Qatar Airways, based in Doha, temporarily suspended certain routes, citing airspace closures and safety requirements. In addition, Oman Air told guests not to arrive at a nearby land border crossing for travel connections unless their flight is confirmed, and it advised travelers passing through the border to arrive at least 12 hours prior to departure because “traffic volumes remain high.”
Travelers planning for possible cancellations or disruptions were also advised to read refund and insurance terms closely, since airline relief can be limited by date or route even when carriers offer free rebooking. Experts said a refundable ticket can provide more flexibility when schedules shift and flights are canceled. Beyond airline policies, some travelers may also consider travel insurance, but insurers typically carve out coverage for unpredictable wartime disruptions.
Suzanne Morrow, CEO of the travel insurance agency InsureMyTrip, said that “Acts of war and civil unrest are typically excluded because they’re unpredictable.” Morrow said consumers could still buy coverage for delays, but she added that travel insurance is “designed to make you whole,” meaning it may not provide additional benefit if an airline does what the policy would otherwise cover, such as rebooking passengers or offering refunds.
Christina Tunnah of World Nomads Travel Insurance said that the majority of her firm’s policies exclude losses resulting from acts of war, though compensation might be possible in certain scenarios, including plans that offer “cancel for any reason.” She said coverage becomes less likely once an event is known and that insurers may add restrictions for impacted destinations, so travelers who have not already purchased coverage could face tighter limits.
Looking ahead, experts said disruptions may also take the form of longer flights as airlines continue to reroute around closed airspace linked to current and past conflicts worldwide. Bryan Terry, managing director at Alton Aviation Consultancy, said longer routes can increase costs because carriers pay “overflight fees” when flying through other countries’ airspace and because longer flights require more fuel. Terry said those added costs will be passed on to passengers and warned that if the conflict continues, travelers should “anticipate that some carriers will likely impose fuel surcharges” or increase existing fees.
Terry said ticket price jumps in the near term may reflect supply and demand as thousands of flights were canceled, while longer-route costs could affect pricing later. He noted that the price of crude oil is a key component of jet fuel and that oil prices have already spiked since the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks, contributing to higher operating costs for airlines.