Airlines Suspend Flights to Middle East Destinations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions Airlines across the globe have extended flight suspensions to key Middle East destinations, including Dubai, Riyadh, and Beirut, as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate. The disruptions mark a significant setback for regional aviation recovery, which had shown signs of improvement since hostilities began on February 28. Major carriers are now delaying the resumption of services, citing evolving security risks and the volatile situation in the Gulf. Emirates, one of the region’s largest airlines, has restored nearly 75% of its pre-conflict flight schedule, reflecting partial recovery. However, other carriers face prolonged suspensions. Air France, which had planned to resume operations in the Middle East on July 20, has postponed its return, with flights to Riyadh suspended until July 24, Dubai resuming on July 27, and Beirut remaining closed until August 2. The airline emphasized that its decisions depend on ongoing assessments of the security situation. Singapore Airlines has extended its suspension of flights to Dubai until October 24, pushing back its original resumption date of August 2. The airline warned that additional routes may be affected and offered refunds or rebooking options for impacted passengers. Its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, has also suspended flights to Jeddah until August 8. British Airways has delayed its phased return to the Middle East, with flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain, and Amman suspended until October 25. The carrier has also reduced frequencies on other routes, operating flights to Doha once daily instead of twice and cutting services to Riyadh from two daily flights to one. Permanently suspended flights to Jeddah remain unaffected.#emirates #airlines #singapore_airlines #british_airways #air_france
