More airlines are restoring flights across the Middle East following the conflict triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, but major carriers remain cautious and many routes are still suspended into the autumn, according to a Reuters factbox published July 16.
Airlines have largely resumed services through parts of the Gulf, but flights to Israel, Lebanon and several other destinations remain disrupted. Dubai and Tel Aviv continue to be among the most affected destinations, with several European and Asian carriers extending suspensions into October or later.
Airlines with extended suspensions
Lufthansa Group remains among the most cautious operators, with multiple airlines in the group — including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and ITA Airways — maintaining suspensions to destinations including Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut and Tehran through October 24.
IAG/British Airways has suspended Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain and Amman until October 25, with reduced frequencies planned when services resume.
Singapore Airlines has suspended Dubai flights until October 24. Wizz Air has suspended Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman services from mainland Europe until mid-September. Air Canada has suspended Tel Aviv and Dubai services until October 24.
Airlines moving toward resumption
Several airlines that previously halted services are gradually returning. Cathay Pacific plans to resume Dubai and Riyadh services from September 1. Turkish Airlines and its subsidiary SunExpress are gradually restoring routes to Dubai and Beirut, with some SunExpress routes already restarted. Air France plans to resume Beirut flights on August 2.
Why it matters
The staggered resumption of flights reflects the uneven recovery of air connectivity in the Middle East after the Iran conflict. For travel trade professionals, the extended suspensions on key business and leisure routes — particularly Dubai and Tel Aviv — will continue to constrain capacity and pricing into the fourth quarter of 2026. The cautious stance of major European groups like Lufthansa and IAG signals that demand recovery is not yet assured, while the planned resumptions by Cathay Pacific and SunExpress offer limited relief. Tour operators and bedbanks reliant on these routes will need to factor in prolonged disruption and adjust inventory and contracting strategies accordingly.
