DUBAI — Airlines operating across the Middle East are again reshaping schedules and reviewing routings after renewed US-Iran strikes disrupted flights across the Gulf, bringing fresh uncertainty to one of the world’s busiest international aviation corridors.
The US-Iran conflict has entered another dangerous phase, with US forces striking Iranian air-defense and radar systems and Tehran retaliating against US military positions and allies across the region.
Iran’s army on Thursday said it targeted US bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, despite US President Donald Trump threatening further strikes against the country. This comes after extensive US bombardment on sites across Iran killed at least 19 people between Tuesday and Wednesday.
The immediate impact of the US-Iran war is being felt in air travel, shipping, fuel prices and the wider regional security environment, according to a report in the daily Gulf News on Thursday.
At the same time, a separate but increasingly important aviation risk is emerging over Russian airspace, where Ukrainian drone activity has prompted warnings to airlines and insurers.
The latest US strikes targeted Iranian air defenses, radar systems, maritime assets and communications sites, according to the US military.
Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drone against US-linked targets and bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq, while Gulf states activated air defenses.
Kuwait reported further missile and drone attacks early Thursday, saying its air defenses intercepted the incoming threats. Bahrain also said Iranian drones had been intercepted.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the confrontation. The US says it is escorting and guiding commercial vessels through the Strait while maintaining a blockade against Iranian ports.
But traffic remains severely depressed. Reuters reported that only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait on Wednesday, compared with a 10-day average of about 13, according to preliminary Kpler data.
The US Central Command, however, reported having escorted 40 ships through the Strait on September 1, amounting to a record 18 million barrels of oil despite Iran’s claims of a crude oil tanker being hit by mines early on Monday.
The Bahrain-based Joint Maritime Information Center said two tanker-related incidents were reported over a 48-hour period. One involved the oil tanker Burgan, which reported a security incident and subsequently anchored near Jazirat Um Al Ghanam.
The escalation has raised fresh concerns about the safety of commercial aviation and shipping throughout the Gulf.
Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional destinations remain particularly sensitive.
Gulf News reported that Emirates canceled its Dubai-Basra service, while Air Arabia scrapped several flights linking the UAE with Kuwait and Bahrain. Etihad reported delays and a diversion on other parts of its network, although services to Bahrain and Kuwait continued to operate.
But delays were also being reported for reasons unrelated to the regional conflict. Etihad’s flight to Manila was delayed for operational reasons, while a flight from Karachi to Abu Dhabi was delayed because of a technical issue.
Passengers departing Dubai have been advised to arrive at least four hours before departure and complete online check-in where possible.
flydubai said its flights to Dubai and Bahrain were operating as scheduled in the latest update. The airline is nevertheless closely monitoring the security situation and has warned passengers that schedules and routings can change.
International carriers are also adjusting their schedules.
Air France has suspended Dubai services until Sept. 4, with flights departing Dubai suspended through Sept. 5.
Other international airlines have also maintained or extended suspensions while some carriers are gradually restoring services as parts of the regional network stabilise.
UAE travellers flying toward Europe and Asia also need to watch developments far beyond the Gulf.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Ukrainian drone operations have made Russian airspace increasingly dangerous for civilian aviation.
Ukraine has notified the International Civil Aviation Organisation of its concerns.
Russia, however, rejects the warning and says its airspace and airports remain operational and safe.
European and US airlines largely avoid Russian airspace following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but airlines from China, Turkey, the UAE and other Gulf states continue to use parts of the airspace.
Reuters reported that Moscow airports experienced significant disruption Wednesday, including hundreds of delays and dozens of cancellations. Some airlines cancelled flights without directly attributing the decisions to the Ukrainian drone threat.
Source: Saudi Gazette