Here is the current operational picture of aviation in and around the Middle East, including evacuation routes and airline responses.

1. Main evacuation hubs being used

Because several conflict-zone airspaces remain closed or restricted, evacuations are being routed through “safer corridor” airports.

Key evacuation gateways

• Muscat – major exit hub for stranded travellers
• Larnaca – staging point for EU repatriation flights
• Amman – used when land transfers are possible
• Cairo – fallback evacuation point
• Istanbul – key transit hub for rerouted flights

Some travellers are moved by bus or domestic flights to these hubs before being flown back to Europe or Asia.

Example: Oman’s national airline helped move tens of thousands of passengers through Muscat as a gateway out of the region.

2. Major airspaces currently restricted

The aviation disruption started after strikes and counter-strikes between the US-Israel coalition and Iran.

Countries with major airspace closures or restrictions include:

• Iran
• Israel
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Qatar
• United Arab Emirates (partial restrictions)

These closures forced airlines to cancel or reroute tens of thousands of flights worldwide.

3. Airlines suspending or limiting services

Many international airlines temporarily halted flights to several Middle East cities.

European airlines

• Lufthansa Group

  • Suspended routes to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Tehran and Gulf destinations for varying periods.

• KLM

  • Avoiding airspace over Iran, Iraq, and Israel; Tel Aviv flights are suspended for the winter season.

• Air France

  • Suspended flights to Dubai, Riyadh, Tel Aviv, and Beirut temporarily.

• AEGEAN Airlines

  • Cancelled flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Baghdad, Erbil and Riyadh into mid-March.

Middle Eastern airlines

Operations are partially restored but still limited.

• Emirates – gradually resuming operations after temporary suspensions at Dubai International Airport.

• Qatar Airways – restarted some international flights from Hamad International Airport, but capacity is reduced.

• Oman Air – cancelled flights to several cities while adding extra flights to move stranded passengers.

4. How flights between Europe and Asia are being rerouted

Because the Middle East is normally the main air bridge between Europe and Asia, airlines are using alternative corridors:

Northern route

• Europe ? Turkey ? Caucasus ? Central Asia ? East Asia

Southern route

• Europe ? Egypt ? Saudi Arabia ? Arabian Sea ? India / Southeast Asia

These detours add 1.5–6 hours of flight time and increase fuel consumption significantly.

5. Industry impact so far

• 37,000+ flights cancelled since the escalation began.
• Global airline shares are falling due to jet fuel prices surging above $100 oil.
• Cargo capacity is falling sharply because passenger belly capacity is missing.

Bottom line

Air travel in the Middle East is not shut down entirely, but operating in a limited and highly controlled mode. Evacuations and essential flights are prioritized, and a full recovery will likely depend on whether airspace closures are lifted in the coming weeks.