Etihad resumes limited services as air travel across the Gulf slowly returns
#Etihad Airways#Emirates Airlines#Gulf aviation#Flight cancellations#Airspace restrictions#Lufthansa#Dubai airport#Aviation industry
📌 Key Takeaways
Etihad and Emirates resume limited services after week-long disruption
Dubai airport operating at 25% capacity with 310 flights on Thursday
Lufthansa sees increased demand for direct flights to Asia and Africa
Gulf airspace remains partially closed due to regional conflict
📖 Full Retelling
Etihad and Emirates announced the resumption of limited flight services from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively on March 6, 2026, as air travel across the Gulf slowly returns following a week of massive disruptions that saw tens of thousands of flights canceled due to regional conflict and airspace closures. Etihad will operate between Abu Dhabi and key destinations, while Emirates has begun connecting passengers through its Dubai hub, which is currently running at a quarter of its normal capacity with approximately 310 flights on Thursday, double the previous day but significantly below pre-conflict levels. The German carrier Lufthansa reported a sharp increase in demand for its long-haul routes to Asia and Africa as passengers avoid flying through the volatile Gulf region, which remains partially closed following missile threats and ongoing conflict. Air France had to turn back a repatriation flight on Thursday due to missile fire over Dubai, while Qatar's airspace remains completely closed, forcing Qatar Airways to operate limited flights from Oman instead of its Doha hub. Both Etihad and Emirates had been running only repatriation flights during the crisis, with normal services suspended due to safety concerns and geopolitical tensions in the region that handles about one-third of all Europe-Asia connections. Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr described the situation as revealing a 'geopolitical Achilles heel' for the airline industry, warning that the conflict has increased uncertainty despite the company reporting record revenues of €39.6bn for 2025.
🏷️ Themes
Aviation Recovery, Geopolitical Impact, Airline Industry
A flight delay occurs when an airline flight takes off and/or lands later than its scheduled time. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) considers a flight to be delayed when it is 15 minutes later than its scheduled time. A flight cancellation occurs when the airline does not oper...
Etihad Airways is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (the other being Emirates). Its head office is in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, near Zayed International Airport. The airline commenced operations in November 2003 and is the second-largest airline in the UAE after Emirates.
Emirates is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (the other being Etihad Airways). Based in Garhoud, Dubai, the airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is owned by the government of Dubai's Investment Corporation of Dubai. It is the world's largest long haul airline ...
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