Emirates, Etihad resume limited flights to major global cities

Where Diplomacy Meets News

Emirates, Etihad resume limited flights to major global cities

March 6, 2026

DUBAI,— Emirates and Etihad Airways restarted limited flights to major global cities from their United Arab Emirates hubs on Friday, as the risk of missile strikes continues to challenge airline operations.

Most Middle Eastern airspace remains closed due to ongoing missile and drone threats following the start of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.

Governments have been arranging charter flights and reserving seats on available commercial services to evacuate tens of thousands of people.

A French government-chartered Air France flight intended to return French citizens from the UAE had to turn back on Thursday after missile activity in the region, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said.

“The event shows how unstable the region is and how complicated repatriation efforts have become,” he added.

Etihad announced on Friday it would operate a limited schedule through March 19. Flights will run from Abu Dhabi to 25 destinations, including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Delhi, New York, and Toronto.

Traffic at Dubai International Airport, normally the world’s busiest, nearly doubled on Thursday compared to Wednesday, though it remained at only about 25% of typical levels, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24.

Dubai-based Emirates said it would maintain a reduced schedule to 82 destinations, including London, Sydney, Singapore, and New York, until further notice.

Passengers transiting through Dubai are only allowed if their connecting flights are operating.

The disruptions have hit travelers flying from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region especially hard.

Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows that Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad normally carry about one-third of Europe-to-Asia passengers and more than half of those traveling from Europe to Australia, New Zealand, and nearby Pacific Islands.

Qatar’s Doha hub remains closed, but limited relief flights are being arranged from Oman and Saudi Arabia. Cirium data shows that from February 28 to March 5, more than 44,000 flights were scheduled in and out of the Middle East, with over 25,000 canceled so far.

The crisis has also driven jet fuel prices to record levels. Singapore jet fuel hit $225 per barrel this week, due to fears of supply disruptions from Middle Eastern refiners, though prices dropped slightly to around $195 on Thursday.

Shares of airlines fell in response. Qantas Airways lost more than 3%, Air New Zealand fell nearly 7%, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific dropped over 2%, and Singapore Airlines was down more than 1%.

Shares of Chinese carriers including Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern declined between 2% and 4%.

Travelers described a chaotic rush to leave the region. Some paying commercial fares on Thursday from Oman said the experience was extremely difficult.

“We paid 1,500 pounds ($2,005) to get to Muscat, Oman, to catch a flight,” said Ed Short, who arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport on a British Airways flight. “We had paid close to 20,000 pounds for Emirates flights and are hoping to reclaim the costs.”

The conflict shows no sign of easing, suggesting continued disruption to aviation and air cargo. Saudi budget airline flynas said it would operate a limited number of flights between Saudi Arabia and Dubai starting Friday.

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel carried out coordinated, large-scale airstrikes against Iran. In retaliation, Iran launched multiple waves of missiles and armed drones targeting sites across the Gulf region.

The strikes hit key infrastructure, including major airports, seaports, hotels, and residential areas in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, according to reports.

(With files from Reuters)