Middle East skies reopen as Etihad, Emirates resume limited flights

Flight activity in the Middle East began to pick up on Tuesday (March 3), after regional tensions flared on Saturday (February 28).

Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi has resumed flights after airspace was shut for more than 48 hours, following US and Israeli military operations against Iran and retaliatory strikes across several parts of the Gulf region.

Dubai International Airport has also begun reopening on a limited basis, even as neighbouring countries continue to keep their airspace tightly closed.

Flightradar24 data showed Etihad Airways — based at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi — has gradually resumed operations. Some outbound flights have departed Abu Dhabi, while inbound flights have also started arriving again over the past 24 hours, starting from yesterday afternoon.

Etihad flight EY67 to London successfully took off from Abu Dhabi. At present, Etihad is operating services to London, Amsterdam, Paris and Moscow, as well as selected flights within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and to India, in an effort to clear passengers stranded at the airport.

Meanwhile, Emirates — headquartered at Dubai International Airport — has announced a limited resumption of services, prioritising stranded passengers and those with existing bookings made earlier. The airline said it will contact affected passengers directly.

Several passengers have also reported receiving messages allowing them to check in, with some able to complete online check-in successfully from around 2am local time. More outbound flights have also started appearing on the airport’s system.

Emirates said its immediate priority is to ensure passengers with prior reservations can travel as soon as possible. The airline will contact passengers allocated seats on these limited flights directly. 

It also issued a strict warning telling passengers not to travel to the airport until they have received a new travel confirmation from the airline, in order to reduce crowding and maintain safety at airports that are still in the process of restoring services.

Other flights, beyond those notified on a case-by-case basis, will remain suspended until further notice. Emirates said it is working to restore normal travel as quickly as possible, while security measures remain at the highest level across the region.

The limited return of operations by the two major Middle Eastern airlines is a significant move to help clear stranded passengers from the regional conflict disruption — but it is not a return to normal flight operations.

Most services currently operating are largely special flights requiring individual approvals, rather than a full return to scheduled timetables, including:

• Repositioning flights — moving aircraft to different locations
• Cargo flights — freight-only, with no passengers
• Repatriation flights — transporting stranded passengers back to their home countries

Why are airlines unable to resume full operations yet?

Airlines cannot yet resume full operations because countries surrounding Abu Dhabi are still keeping their airspace closed or restricting flights amid heightened regional tensions. 

International media reports that Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates (which remains partially closed) are among those still fully or partly shut.

As a result, flight routes remain unstable and are being adjusted minute by minute.