Airlines extend Middle East flight suspensions into 2027 amid airspace restrictions

Multiple international airlines have extended suspensions of flights to Middle Eastern destinations into 2027, citing persistent airspace restrictions and safety concerns.

Air Canada has suspended its flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until the end of March 2027.

"If you are in either of these regions, please do not head to the airport unless you have a confirmed flight with another airline, and your flight is operating as scheduled. Your safety is our top priority," the airline said on its website.

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Cathay Pacific has extended its suspension of flights to Dubai and Riyadh until January 31, 2027.

Virgin Atlantic flights to Dubai remain suspended until October 2027.

British Airways has permanently suspended flights to Jeddah, while flights to Bahrain will remain suspended until the end of March 2027.

The airline will initially operate one daily flight between London and Dubai starting November 3, before increasing to twice-daily services for the summer.

Flights to Abu Dhabi will remain suspended for considerably longer, with services scheduled to resume during the winter 2027-2028 season.

Elsewhere in the region, BA's Doha service resumed on September 1 at a reduced frequency of one flight a day, down from twice daily.

Flights to Tel Aviv are scheduled to resume on October 25 with one daily service, while Riyadh flights will restart on November 3, also at one a day.

Wizz Air has postponed the planned restart of its Abu Dhabi and Dubai routes, cancelling all flights to and from both destinations for the winter season.

“Regional airspace restrictions extended on September 30 require significantly longer routings to these destinations, increasing flight times and costs and making both A321neo and A321XLR operations commercially unviable under current conditions,” the airline told The National.

Wizz Air also said flights to and from Amman are affected by the EU Aviation Safety Agency's latest conflict zone information bulletin, which recommends that airlines do not operate within Jordanian airspace at any altitude.

Singapore Airlines has pushed back its Dubai flight resumption to October 24, citing a fluid regional situation affecting operations.

“As the situation remains fluid, other flights may be affected,” the airline said on its website.

The low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines has suspended its flights from Singapore to Jeddah until December 2.

Air France has resumed its regular flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut, but flights to Riyadh and Dubai are suspended until October 24.

Lufthansa Group airlines will gradually resume flights to Dubai from late October, restoring connections from several European cities.

Lufthansa will restart services between Munich and Dubai on October 25, followed by flights between Frankfurt and Dubai on October 26.

Swiss will resume daily flights between Zurich and Dubai from October 27, while Austrian Airlines will restart its Vienna-Dubai service on December 12.

The Lufthansa Group is also restarting services to other destinations in the region, including Tel Aviv, Beirut and Amman.

The group said it “continuously monitors and evaluates the situation in the Middle East” and remains in close contact with relevant authorities.

“The safety of passengers and crew is always the top priority for the Lufthansa Group,” it said, adding that the continuing volatility in the region means short-notice changes to individual routes may still be necessary.

American Airlines has extended its travel alert for passengers flying to, through or from Tel Aviv, with flexible booking options now covering travel into March 2027.

Delta has extended the suspension of flights between Atlanta and Tel Aviv until December 18.

The launch of flights between Boston and Tel Aviv has been delayed until further notice, although services between New York-JFK and Tel Aviv resumed on September 6.

Emirates has partially resumed Dubai-Bahrain services, operating one daily flight, while its Dubai-Kuwait routes remain fully suspended.

Kazakhstan's national carrier had earlier suspended flights from Almaty and Astana to Dubai until September 30, but flights between the cities are now available to book for travel on October 1 onwards.

Air Canada is currently hiring flight attendants for positions based in Vancouver and Toronto. Novello Desserts reported in October that the starting wage is $34.63 per hour.

With files from The National