Air France has temporarily halted flights to three major Middle Eastern destinations—Riyadh, Dubai, and Beirut—as the security situation in the region remains volatile. The French carrier announced the suspensions on 20 July, citing restrictions that may affect certain airspaces and the need for constant monitoring.
Flights to and from Riyadh, the Saudi capital, are suspended until 24 July inclusive, while services to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates are paused until 27 July. The airline has also extended its suspension of flights to Beirut, Lebanon, until 2 August. Air France said in a statement that it is “monitoring the situation” in the near and Middle East “in real time” and that the resumption of operations will depend on an assessment of the security situation on the ground, which it described as “very fluid.”
Broader Industry Response
Air France is not alone in adjusting its network. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin on 14 July, advising airlines to avoid the airspace of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE, as well as the Gulf of Oman. This advisory remains active until 29 July.
KLM, the Dutch carrier, has also modified its flight schedule, avoiding the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and Israel, along with several Gulf countries. KLM has suspended flights to Dammam and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia until 23 August, and to Dubai until the same date. Services to or via Beirut may be disrupted until 16 August.
British Airways has delayed the resumption of several Middle East routes, with flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain, and Amman suspended until 25 October. Services to Doha are scheduled to resume on 1 August, and to Riyadh on 8 August. Greece’s Aegean Airlines has cancelled flights to Dubai until 31 August, and to Erbil and Baghdad until 30 September.
Singapore Airlines extended its suspension of flights to Dubai until 24 October, while its low-cost subsidiary Scoot has cancelled services to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia until 8 August. Philippine Airlines resumed flights between Manila and Doha on 1 July but continues to suspend services to Dubai until 2 October.
Air Canada has cancelled flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until 24 October, and Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights to Dubai will resume on 25 October, with Riyadh following on 26 October. Latvian flag carrier airBaltic has cancelled flights to Dubai until 24 October.
The Lufthansa Group continues to operate a reduced network across the Middle East. SWISS has postponed flights to Tel Aviv until August, while Brussels Airlines has suspended its Tel Aviv services until 24 October. Lufthansa and SWISS flights to Dubai remain suspended until 13 September, and services to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Erbil, Muscat, Riyadh, and Tehran are suspended until 24 October.
These disruptions come amid broader geopolitical tensions that have also affected energy markets. As Portugal fuel prices surge due to Middle East tensions, the impact on European consumers and airlines is becoming more pronounced. The situation underscores the interconnectedness of European aviation with regional security dynamics.
Many carriers have set resumption dates for late October, coinciding with the start of the aviation industry’s northern winter timetable. However, as Air France noted, the situation remains fluid, and further adjustments are possible depending on developments.
