Experts reveal when flights to the Middle East are predicted to resume

As travel chaos continues to take hold across the Middle East, many Brits - both at home and those stranded in the region - are, understandably, anxious to know when flights will resume. 

In light of the wave of violence and unrest in the Middle East, Brits travelling to and within the Middle East are facing severe disruption to their holidays.

Flights to many major hubs across the region have been cancelled or suspended.

It comes after US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend were met with missile attacks from Iran across the region.

While flights are slowly beginning to repatriate those stranded in the region, commercial flights are yet to start back up with full force. Meanwhile, last night's planned chartered flight organised by the UK Government to bring Brits home from Oman failed to take off.

Here's everything you need to know about when Middle East flights are predicted to resume...

When are flights set to resume?

It is unclear exactly when flights are set to resume.

However, some airlines, including British Airways, are starting to operate flights from places like Oman. 

And aviation analytics firm Cirium anticipates cancellations will continue for at least a week. It will be both country and airline specific. 

Many airlines have ruled out the possibility of any flights being scheduled until at least Thursday, the Guardian reported. 

According to Travel Risk Management membership community The Trip Group, Syrian airspace will be closed until 8 March.

In Iraq, the nationwide airspace closure is extended until 7 March.

Meanwhile, for the Gulf states, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait have partially or fully closed airspace.

Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder at AirAdvisor, tells the Daily Mail: 'If there's no further escalation, I would expect a meaningful ramp-up over the next several days on key Gulf routes.

'But a full return to normal like reliable daily frequencies, minimal rerouting, normal connection banks through major hubs, typically takes longer because airlines need to reposition aircraft and crews, clear backlogs, and rebuild missed rotations. 

'Even after the first flights restart, disruption can echo globally for a week as networks re-balance.'

Benjamin Wohl, chief operating officer at private jet charter company Tribeca Jets,  added: 'Depending on circumstances, you may see a gradual return to normal in some areas, while others are still shuttered. Timing is directly correlated to the everchanging developments on the ground and there is no telling while things are still volatile. 

'Israel is beginning to consider a few inbound flights an hour to return some of it's citizens who have been stranded abroad. You may begin to see more of the same in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, etc. within the next couple of weeks. Experts have predicted a two to five-week conflict. 

'If those predictions hold, expect a normal return to air traffic in the weeks following a cessation of hostilities. Another possibility is a limited return if the fighting goes from all-out war to a lower intensity, especially if contained to one or two countries. 

'In that situation, you will see what you currently see in regard to the years-long battle with Ukraine, airlines simply avoiding the direct airspace of the warring nation. As of now, only the ultra-wealthy have been able to get in or out on rare private aircrafts.'

Will things go back to normal immediately?

Even when airspace does start to open up, it's unlikely things will go back to normal straight away.

Anton said: 'Right now, the best way to think about when flights will resume is in phases. We're already seeing the first phase: limited, tightly controlled operations returning on the lowest-risk corridors, with carriers restarting selectively and keeping schedules fluid. 

'The resumption of services like London-Dubai and London-Riyadh is a strong signal that parts of the network can operate again when airspace and risk assessments allow.

'The second phase is what most passengers will feel: broader commercial schedules returning, but with short-notice cancellations and reroutes still likely. 

'The region's airspace picture is not open/closed in a binary way, it can change hour by hour depending on security events and NOTAMs, and that is why airlines will continue to publish conservative timetables and then scale up only when stability holds.'

Anton went on to say: 'For travellers, the practical takeaway is to treat the next few days as a fragile recovery period. Confirm flight status frequently, keep routing options flexible, and if you're connecting via major hubs, assume schedules may change at short notice while airspace restrictions remain dynamic.'

Earlier in the week, travel expert Simon Calder said it is unlikely flights would be up and running at full capacity soon.

He explained: 'Just bear in mind that every day that there are no flights going in and out of the world's busiest international airport, Dubai, and Doha, and Abu Dhabi, that is two and a half thousand flights and about half a million people. The numbers are really staggering.

'Every hour generally, on average, 20,000 people land and depart from those airports, and so you have a massive problem building up.

'And certainly the numbers haven't been added to because, of course, people are there, but what's happening is that people's holidays are ending and so they are being added to the back of the queue at the airport.'

He added: 'So it's going to take some time to get this back to normal and I simply hope that it is done with the maximum energy - and indeed money - just to try to make sure that people are back when they need to be as soon as possible.' 

What airspace is closed in the Middle East?

Countries across the Gulf have closed their airspaces. 

Airspace over the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan remained almost completely empty on Wednesday morning, flight tracking website Flightradar24 demonstrated. 

Have any airlines already started running flights? 

Last night, the first UK government chartered flight set to fly Brits home from Oman failed to take off.

Terrified passengers were said to be smashing on windows and having panic attacks as they sat helplessly on the plane on the tarmac in Muscat. One described the ordeal as a 'total s***show'.

It had been scheduled to depart from the Omani capital at 11pm GST on Wednesday, but could not 'due to the pilot's hours clocking up'.

In a statement from the Foreign Office they claimed that it was due to 'technical issues', but add that it is now expected to take off later today.

Meanwhile, British Airways will run a number of flights from Oman to the UK in attempt to bring thousands of stranded Brits home from the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict.

The airline has announced it will run flights from Muscat in Oman to London Heathrow on March 6 and 7.

The flights later in the week will be for customers who had bookings with the airline but are now stranded in Oman or the UAE.

But Qatar Airways has said that scheduled flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. 

Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: 'Following the reopening of airspace in the Middle East, our services between London Heathrow and Dubai and Riyadh restarted on Tuesday 3 March. The safety and security of our customers and people is always our top priority, and our flights are subject to ongoing assessments.

'We are contacting customers regarding their travel arrangements and rebooking customers affected by cancelled flights, prioritising the rebooking of those registered as away from home. We'd like to thank them for their patience and understanding and recommend that all customers due to travel to or from Dubai and Riyadh over the next 48 hours check the status of their flight on virginatlantic.com before going to the airport.

'We continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East with ongoing dynamic assessments and active changes to our flight routings based on the latest information and guidance, if required.'

What's opened back up so far?

Thousands of British nationals have started arriving home from the war-torn Middle East as airlines have ramped up flights out of the UAE and the Government chartered its first emergency evacuation flight.

The Government appears to be relying on commercial airlines to get passengers back home, chartering just a single flight from Oman with no plans in place for a wide-scale evacuation - although this flight, scheduled for last night, failed to take off.

On Tuesday, Emirates operated seven flights from Dubai to the UK while Etihad had two departures from Abu Dhabi. Virgin Atlantic is operating a flight from Dubai to London Heathrow. 

British Airways has not restarted its usual flying programme from the region, but will run an evacuation flight to Heathrow from Muscat, which it does not usually serve. 

Wizz Air has not started any flights in the affected region.

But Etihad and TUI are working on repatriation flights.

When might Dubai airport reopen?

While Dubai airport is not running many flights, a few carriers have launched a number of flights.

In a statement, Emirates said: 'Emirates can confirm that it is currently operating a reduced flight schedule until further notice. This follows the partial re-opening of regional airspace for the safe conduct of commercial flights.

'For 5 and 6 March, over 100 flights will depart from Dubai and return. These flights will carry people eager to reach their final destinations, as well as essential cargo like perishables and pharmaceuticals.

'Emirates will continue to gradually build back its flying schedule, subject to airspace availability and all operational requirements being met. Safety is always our top priority.

'We continue to monitor the situation and adapt our operations accordingly.

'For now, customers should only proceed to the airport if they have a confirmed booking.

'We urge all customers to check emirates.com and our official social media channels, where we will publish the latest updates.'

Should I cancel my holiday to the Middle East? 

If you are planning to head to an area with a new warning, you may be able to cancel your trip and likely be compensated.

If you have a trip booked to an area unaffected by the latest escalation, it is unlikely that you will be able to claim your money back.

For areas where the FCDO advises against travel, ignoring advice could invalidate your insurance.

Holidaymakers already in affected areas are advised to contact their insurance provider.

Speak to your insurer if you have any concerns or to confirm if your cancellation will be covered by insurance.