The consequences of the ongoing war in Iran have worsened the situation for the global aviation sector, as the number of flights canceled in the Middle East region has exceeded 23,000 flights since the start of the conflict.
Data issued by aviation analytics company Cirium showed that of the approximately 36,000 flights scheduled to operate to and from the region since February 28, more than half have been cancelled, representing an estimated loss of 4.4 million seats for passengers.
Emirates Airlines announced the extension of the suspension of its flights to and from Dubai until the 7th of this March, while Etihad Airways followed the same approach by extending the suspension of its flights from Abu Dhabi until the 6th of the same month.
The situation in Doha is still unclear, as Qatar Airways confirmed that all its air operations will continue to be suspended until further notice, noting that it will issue a new statement about the status of its operations tomorrow morning, Friday.
In a related context, Oman Air revealed a large list of cancellations that included regional and international destinations such as (Dubai, Doha, Manama, Kuwait, Dammam, Baghdad, Amman, Khasab, and Copenhagen), and this suspension is scheduled to continue until March 6.
On the European side, the German “Lufthansa” group increased the degree of caution, as it announced the extension of the suspension of its flights to a number of capitals and major cities that are witnessing tensions in the region, including Tehran, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Amman, and Erbil, until March 8, indicating that it continues to evaluate the security risks in the regional airspace.
