Middle East flights: Gulf Air expands operations from Dammam

Gulf Air has expanded temporary operations from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, as the closure of Bahraini airspace continues to disrupt flights across the Gulf.

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Bahrain’s national carrier has introduced a limited programme of special flights from Dammam to major international destinations including London, Mumbai and Bangkok, aimed at helping stranded passengers return home.

The temporary operations follow the repositioning of several aircraft from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia and form part of the airline’s emergency plan to maintain connectivity while regular services remain suspended.

Qatar Airways resumes limited schedule

Qatar Airways has confirmed a limited flight schedule connecting 37 destinations worldwide to and from Hamad International Airport in Doha over the coming days after receiving temporary authorisation from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority to operate through restricted air corridors.

The airline said the temporary network will link Doha with major cities across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, including London, New York, Bangkok, Delhi, Cairo and Paris, as it works to help passengers affected by recent airspace disruptions.

In a statement, Qatar Airways said that the flights “do not constitute a confirmation of the resumption of scheduled commercial operations”.

Up to 8,000 passengers were reported to have been stranded in Qatar with the government covering the costs of hotel accommodation and extending their visas.

Flights departing from Doha (DOH)

• 15 March: Algiers (ALG), Bangkok (BKK), Cairo (CAI), Casablanca (CMN), Delhi (DEL), Dhaka (DAC), Hong Kong (HKG), Islamabad (ISB), Istanbul (IST), Jeddah (JED), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), London Heathrow (LHR), Madrid (MAD), Melbourne (MEL), New York (JFK), Paris (CDG).
• 16 March: Amsterdam (AMS), Bangkok (BKK), Beijing (PKX), Cairo (CAI), Colombo (CMB), Delhi (DEL), Dhaka (DAC), Frankfurt (FRA), Istanbul (IST), Jakarta (CGK), Kathmandu (KTM), Kochi (COK), Lagos (LOS), London Heathrow (LHR), Madrid (MAD), Miami (MIA), Mumbai (BOM), Muscat (MCT), Perth (PER), Seoul (ICN).
• 17 March: Algiers (ALG), Bangkok (BKK), Cairo (CAI), Delhi (DEL), Dhaka (DAC), Kochi (COK), Islamabad (ISB), Istanbul (IST), Jeddah (JED), Kathmandu (KTM), London Heathrow (LHR), Manila (MNL), Mumbai (BOM), Nairobi (NBO), Paris (CDG), Riyadh (RUH), Tunis (TUN).

Flights departing to Doha (DOH)

• 15 March: Bali/Denpasar (DPS), Cairo (CAI), Casablanca (CMN), Colombo (CMB), Dallas (DFW), Delhi (DEL), Islamabad (ISB), London Heathrow (LHR), Madrid (MAD), Manila (MNL), Mumbai (BOM), Muscat (MCT), Paris (CDG), Perth (PER), Rome (FCO), Toronto (YYZ), Tunis (TUN).
• 16 March: Algiers (ALG), Amsterdam (AMS), Bangkok (BKK), Cairo (CAI), Delhi (DEL), Denpasar (DPS), Dhaka (DAC), Frankfurt (FRA), Hong Kong (HKG), Islamabad (ISB), Istanbul (IST), Jeddah (JED), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), London Heathrow (LHR), New York (JFK).
• 17 March: Amsterdam (AMS), Bangkok (BKK), Beijing (PKX), Cairo (CAI), Colombo (CMB), Delhi (DEL), Dhaka (DAC), Frankfurt (FRA), Istanbul (IST), Jakarta (CGK), Kathmandu (KTM), Kochi (COK), Lagos (LOS), London Heathrow (LHR), Miami (MIA), Mumbai (BOM), Muscat (MCT), Paris (CDG), Perth (PER), Seoul (ICN).
• 18 March: Algiers (ALG), Bangkok (BKK), Cairo (CAI), Colombo (CMB), Dallas (DFW), Delhi (DEL), Dhaka (DAC), Islamabad (ISB), Istanbul (IST), Kathmandu (KTM), Kochi (COK), Manila (MNL), Mumbai (BOM), Nairobi (NBO), Tunis (TUN), Perth (PER).

Indian airlines scale back UAE operations

Air India and Air India Express will operate a combined 72 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from west Asia on 15 March 2026, despite scaling back some services following instructions from UAE airport authorities.

Air India will run one return flight between Delhi and Dubai, cancelling four of five planned services, while Air India Express will operate one Delhi-Dubai return with five of six flights cancelled. All five Air India Express flights to Abu Dhabi have also been cancelled.

Elsewhere, both airlines will continue scheduled services to Jeddah and Muscat, including eight India-Jeddah flights and 12 Air India Express services to Muscat. A further 52 non-scheduled flights to the UAE and Saudi Arabia will operate subject to slot availability.

Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo has suspended planned flights to several Middle East destinations until 28 March. The airline said services to Doha, Kuwait City, Bahrain, Dammam, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah will remain suspended. Due to the “evolving situation” in the Middle East, IndiGo’s flight operations in Dubai have also been “further restricted”.

Airlines issue updates to Middle East schedules

Oman Air continues to operate as normal, but some routes remain temporarily affected with flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad, and Khasab cancelled until 22 March.

Philippine Airlines has temporarily suspended several Middle East routes until 28 March. The airline has halted flights between Manila and Riyadh, Dubai and Doha. An additional Doha-Manila flight scheduled for 29 March has also been cancelled.

British Airways has cancelled all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv “until later this month”, while services to and from Abu Dhabi have been cancelled “until later this year”.

Emirates expects to return to full flight capacity in the “coming days”, following the partial re-opening of regional airspace in the UAE. The Dubai-based carrier has been operating a reduced flight schedule while working to restore full network operations.

Etihad Airways has also restarted a “limited flight schedule” operating from its hub at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. The airline has listed more than 70 destinations that it planned to fly to between 6 and 19 March.

Air Arabia has started operating a limited number of flights to and from the UAE, subject to operational and regulatory approvals. From 6-22 March, limited flights will be operating between Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah to more than 40 destinations.

Virgin Atlantic‘s seasonal Dubai service is now suspended for the remainder of the winter season. The airline’s flights to Riyadh have also now paused for the next two weeks and will “continue to be assessed on an ongoing basis in line with the latest safety guidance”.

Low-cost carrier Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman up to and including Sunday 15 March.

Turkish Airlines has cancelled flights to and from Bahrain, Dammam and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria and the UAE.

Air France is “monitoring the evolving situation in the region in real-time”, but due to the closure of certain airspaces it has been forced to extend the suspension of its flights to and from Dubai, Riyadh, Tel Aviv and Beirut until 17 March.

Dutch airline KLM is currently not flying through the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Israel, nor over several countries in the Gulf region. Flights to, from, or via destinations in the region are cancelled or adjusted. KLM’s Tel Aviv flights are suspended for the remainder of its winter season operations, while flights to and from Dammam, Riyadh and Dubai are suspended up to and including Saturday 28 March.

Lufthansa Group airlines – which includes Lufthansa, SWISS International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, and Eurowings – has suspended flights to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman and Erbil until 28 March; to and from Dammam until 15 March; to and from Tel Aviv until 2 April; to and from Beirut until 28 March; and to and from Tehran until 30 April.

Air Canada has said that all flights to and from Dubai and Tel Aviv are currently suspended and restarting on 23 March.

Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia’s flag carrier, temporarily suspended flights to and from Doha “until further notice”, the company said in a statement.