Middle East conflict keeps more than 30 airlines canceling Tel Aviv, Dubai, and Doha flights

Disruption overview

As of 15 May 2026, more than 30 airlines were still canceling or rerouting services across the Middle East, with Tel Aviv, Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, and Beirut among the hardest-hit routes after the conflict escalated on 28 February 2026. Major airline groups including Air France, KLM, Lufthansa Group, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Pegasus Airlines, and Singapore Airlines continue to adjust schedules as they review security conditions. Some carriers are starting to restore limited flights, but many suspensions now stretch into summer or autumn, and several restart dates remain provisional. Because these disruptions are linked to armed conflict and airspace restrictions outside the airline's control, compensation under EC 261 is usually unlikely, but airlines should still offer care such as rebooking or refunds, food and drinks during long waits, and accommodation if you're stranded overnight.

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Disruption details

On 15 May 2026, more than 30 airlines were still canceling or rerouting flights across the Middle East, with routes touching Tel Aviv, Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, and Beirut among the most disrupted. More than two months after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February 2026, and Iran responded with missiles and drones, airlines were still keeping aircraft and crews away from conflict-affected airspace and airports.

For passengers, this has meant ongoing uncertainty, last-minute changes, and longer journeys as schedules keep shifting. Some Gulf carriers are starting to restore capacity, but many airlines based outside the region are still taking a cautious approach, and several restart dates now stretch well into summer or autumn.

The disruption reaches well beyond one airport or one country. Services touching Ben Gurion Airport, Dubai International Airport, Hamad International Airport in Doha, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Kuwait International Airport, Bahrain International Airport, King Fahd International Airport, Abu Dhabi International Airport, Sharjah International Airport, Baghdad International Airport, and Erbil International Airport have all been affected by cancellations, suspensions, or reduced service.

Here are some of the latest schedule changes passengers should know about:

• Aegean Airlines plans to resume some Tel Aviv flights from Heraklion, Rhodes, and Larnaca on 21 May, but Thessaloniki-Tel Aviv stays suspended until 26 June and its Dubai, Erbil, and Baghdad services remain paused into late June or early July. Aeroflot says its United Arab Emirates routes will restart on 1 June. Qatar Airways has already resumed Baghdad, Basra, and Erbil, Malaysia Airlines will run limited Doha services from 2 June, and Wizz Air plans to return to Tel Aviv on 28 May.

• Air Canada has canceled Tel Aviv and Dubai through 7 September. Delta Air Lines has extended its Atlanta-Tel Aviv cancellation to 30 November, plans to restart New York JFK-Tel Aviv on 6 September, and has delayed its Boston-Tel Aviv launch indefinitely. El Al continues to suspend Dubai through 31 May.

• Air France continues to suspend Tel Aviv, Beirut, and Dubai until 27 May, and Riyadh until 19 May. KLM is not returning to Riyadh, Dammam, or Dubai before 28 June. British Airways will reduce Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv to 1 daily flight from 1 July, cut Riyadh from 2 daily flights to 1 in mid-May, and drop Jeddah permanently. Iberia Express is keeping Tel Aviv suspended through 31 May.

• Lufthansa Group is taking a phased approach. Austrian Airlines is targeting 1 June for a return to Tel Aviv, while SWISS, ITA Airways, and Lufthansa are looking at July. Dubai remains suspended for the group until at least 13 September, and several destinations across the wider region are paused until 24 October. Eurowings is also keeping Tel Aviv suspended until 9 July and Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until 24 October.

• Finnair has dropped Doha until 2 July, is still avoiding Iraqi, Iranian, Syrian, and Israeli airspace, and does not expect Dubai to return before October. Cathay Pacific has suspended Dubai and Riyadh passenger flights until 30 June, and Japan Airlines is keeping Tokyo-Doha suspended until 30 June. Singapore Airlines has extended its Singapore-Dubai pause to 2 August.

• airBaltic has pulled Tel Aviv until 28 June and Dubai until 24 October, while Air Europa is suspended through 31 May. LOT Polish Airlines has paused Tel Aviv until 12 June, Beirut until 27 June, and Riyadh until 30 June. Royal Air Maroc keeps Doha off until 30 June and Dubai until 31 May, and Norwegian Air has pushed back new Tel Aviv and Beirut routes to 15 June.

• Pegasus Airlines has canceled flights to Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah until 1 June. SunExpress has canceled Dubai, Bahrain, Beirut, and Erbil until 30 June, Turkish Airlines continues to keep Tel Aviv suspended, and Qantas has added capacity elsewhere without changing its suspended Middle East routes.

The picture is still uneven. Some airlines are bringing back a small number of services while keeping others paused for weeks or months. Others are reducing daily frequencies instead of fully canceling routes, which still leaves passengers with fewer options and can make rebooking more difficult when plans change at short notice.

That caution reflects the cause of the disruption. Airlines are trying to keep aircraft and crews away from areas affected by the fighting and by related airspace closures. With no confirmed date for normal operations to return, many of these restart plans remain provisional and subject to review.

Because these cancellations are linked to armed conflict and airspace restrictions outside the airline's control, compensation under EC 261 is usually unlikely. That said, your airline should still give you support if your trip is disrupted, including rerouting or a refund, food and drinks during long waits, accommodation with transport if you're stranded overnight, and help with communication while you wait.

Although compensation is unlikely here, that doesn't mean you're without support. If you want a simple way to understand your options or check whether your situation might still qualify, AirHelp's free flight checker is a good place to start.

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