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The Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific has extended its suspension of passenger flights to Dubai and Riyadh through Nov. 30 as international carriers remain reluctant to restore services across the Middle East amid renewed U.S-Iran hostilities.
The airline announced the extension Friday, citing the "latest developments" in the Middle East, adding that affected travelers are being offered the option to rebook, reroute or request refunds. The carrier noted that it continues to monitor the situation to assess any further changes to its operations.
The extension comes after a U.S. strike on Iran’s Larak Island earlier this week ended a month-long lull in hostilities. Airlines are continuing to adjust Middle East schedules as airspace restrictions and operational uncertainty persist.
Virgin Atlantic, the British airline, has pushed back its Dubai return until October 2027. Air Canada, Canada’s flag carrier, has moved its Tel Aviv and Dubai restart to mid-January 2027. Finnair, Finland’s flag carrier, has delayed Dubai and Doha services until March 27, 2027.
KLM, the Dutch flag carrier, has put off flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai until Oct. 24. Wizz Air, a Hungarian low-cost carrier, has likewise postponed Dubai and Abu Dhabi services until Oct. 24.
Singapore Airlines, Singapore’s flag carrier, has moved its Dubai restart to Oct. 24. Its low-cost arm, Scoot, has canceled Singapore-Jeddah flights through Sept. 12.
British Airways, the U.K. flag carrier, has pushed its Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain and Amman return to Oct. 25. Philippine Airlines, the Philippines’ flag carrier, has suspended Dubai service through Oct. 2. Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, has extended its Dubai stoppage until at least Sept. 30.
Within Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa and Swiss have suspended Dubai operations through Sept. 13. Several other group airlines have also put Middle East services on hold until Oct. 24.
ITA Airways, Italy’s flag carrier, has halted Riyadh flights through Sept. 15 and Dubai services through Oct. 24. Korean Air has suspended its Incheon-Dubai route indefinitely.
Among the alternative carriers operating in the region, Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Damascus, Beirut and Amman after suspending services for about three months during the conflict.
The Istanbul-based flag carrier restarted Dubai service on June 9 and Abu Dhabi flights on July 1, later restoring routes to Dammam, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Turkish Airlines is not the only carrier restoring services. Qatar Airways, Qatar’s flag carrier, resumed daily flights to Dubai and Sharjah on April 23 and to Damascus on May 1. It later added Abu Dhabi and increased Dubai services to as many as five daily flights.
Emirates, the UAE’s flag carrier, and Etihad Airways, the UAE’s second flag carrier, also continue operating selected services.
However, the regional recovery remains uneven, as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has extended its Gulf airspace warning through Sept. 30 to cover waters in the Persian Gulf and parts of the Gulf of Oman.
EASA also continues to advise airlines against operating in the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon through the end of September. Flights to and from Beirut are allowed under specific conditions when routes approach from or depart over the sea.
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