Qatar Airways operated the most flights since the start of the war, while flydubai approached 50% of capacity. Others operating slightly fewer flights on Tuesday.
Qatar still has an active NOTAM posted stating that the airspace is closed. At the same time, just as in the neighboring UAE, the ESCAT (Emergency Security Control of Air Traffic) protocol now has been activated, effectively allowing some flights to operate with prior permission. Today, a total of 16 Qatar Airways flights are expected to depart Doha.
Iran has amended their airspace closure slightly, clarifying that the airspace remains closed but that limited exceptions are possible following permission by the Iranian CAA.
Jordan airspace is open but inbound aircraft are suggested to carry extra fuel to allow for potential delays.
A look at how airspace throughout the Middle East has evolved over the past 10 days.
Airspace changes since 26 February. See the disappearance and reappearance of traffic and the now-constricted northern corridor at the top of the image.
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24.com) March 9, 2026 at 10:20 AM
There was increased activity from Air Arabia, Emirates, and flydubai Sunday, while Etihad and Qatar operated fewer flights than the day before. The pace of flights has been dictated in part by airspace safety as well as available flight corridors.
In addition to the increased long-haul flights previously announced, Air India says it will offer 32 ad hoc flights on 9 March to bring stranded travelers back to India. Flights will operate to Dubai (DXB), Ras Al-Khaimah (RKT), Abu Dhabi (AUH), and Sharjah (SHJ).
Air India says it is adding 78 additional flights on nine routes, totaling 17,660 seats to provide increased capacity in the region as flights from major Gulf hubs remain limited. The additional flights are scheduled to operate 10-18 March.
| Origin | Destination | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | New York | B777-300ER |
| Delhi | London (LHR) | B787-8 |
| Mumbai | London (LHR) | B787-8 |
| Delhi | Frankfurt | B787-8 |
| Delhi | Paris (CDG) | B787-8 |
| Delhi | Amsterdam | B787-8 |
| Delhi | Zurich | B787-8 |
| Delhi | Malé | A320neo |
| Delhi | Colombo | A320neo |
Drone attacks on the airport in Dubai suspended flights for long periods during the day on 7 March. End of day figures show a decrease in flights activity Saturday compared to Friday.
The first Qatar Airways flight to depart Doha in a week has list taken off for London. The airline will operate a total of six special evacuation flights from Doha today to London, Madrid (2), Paris, Rome, and Frankfurt.
Flights bound for Dubai International Airport (DXB) are holding early Saturday morning due to a missile/drone attack in close proximity to the airport. A few flights performed go arounds and entered holding patterns near the airport while others are beginning their holds while still at cruising altitude in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
UPDATE: Dubai Media office says falling shrapnel after air defense interception is what was seen recently over the city, not an attack on the airport. Additional aircraft have now moved to a closer hold to the airport, though arrivals have not yet resumed as of 03:52 UTC.
Following yesterday’s drone strikes on Azerbaijan soil, the country has prolonged the airspace closure covering the southern sector of Baku FIR. All other airspace closures and restrictions remain, albeit with updated timings.
Multiple drone and missile launches have been reported overnight and during the morning, affecting the few airports that do operate. Muscat remains the main hub for flight activity, with Dubai infrequently allowing waves of flights to depart and arrive.
Following drone strikes on Nakhchivan International Airport (NAJ) earlier today, Azerbaijan has closed the southern sector of Baku FIR (Flight Information Region).
Oman’s airspace (OOMM) remains open and Muscat has become the preferred airport among airlines in the region to perform relief flights, among them Qatar Airways.
Israel’s airspace (LLLL) remains closed with the exception of military flights and civilian operators with prior permission.
Jordan’s airspace (OJAC) remains open but aircraft are advised to carry extra fuel in case of delays.
*Prior permission required for civilian flights, military flights with permission allowed.
Media reports that Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan International Airport (NAJ) has been hit by an Iranian drone strike. The exact timing of the strike is currently unknown, but Flightradar24 data reveals that Azerbaijan Airlines flight #J2263 was enroute to the airport earlier today but diverted back to the capital Baku. The aircraft changed its routing at 07:23 UTC (11:23 local time), suggesting that the attack was known at the time.
Nakhchivan International Airport (NAJ) is located roughly 10 km (about 6 miles) to the Iranian border. It is primarily served by the local airline Azerbaijan Airlines, with multiple daily flights to the capital Baku.
Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2253 was scheduled to depart Baku for Nakhchivan at 10:30 UTC (14:30 local time) but so far remains on the ground in Baku.
Muscat has emerged as the new hub for relief flights in the Middle East, accommodating airlines and private jets seeking to carry people away from the region. On 4 March, flights operated by SmartWings, Enter Air, British Airways, Lufthansa, and others brought foreign nationals home. On 5 March, British Airways, Swiss, Qatar Airways, and the Polish government are scheduled to operate repatriation flights.
The situation in the region is volatile and we expect airspace closures to be extended upon expiry. The United Arab Emirates has published a NOTAM for its airspace, defining it as partially closed. Meanwhile, the previous NOTAMs referencing so-called Emergency Security Control of Air Traffic (ESCAT) zones, remain in place. The latter appears to give local authorities flexibility and open up for airspace availability with short notice.
Oman (OOMM) airspace remains open. Airlines have begun using Muscat as a base for evacuation flights, with Smartwings operating a number of flights over the previous two days. British Airways and Lufthansa will both operate special flights to bring UK and German nationals home via Muscat.
Israel’s airspace remains closed with the exception of military flights and civilian operators with prior permission.
Jordan has removed its previously imposed nighttime airspace closure.
*Prior permission required for civilian flights, military flights with permission allowed.
While the situation in the region is volatile and we expect airspace closures to be extended upon expiry. The United Arab Emirates has published a NOTAM for its airspace, defining it as partially closed. Meanwhile, the previous NOTAMs referencing so-called Emergency Security Control of Air Traffic (ESCAT) zones, remain in place. The latter appears to give local authorities flexibility and open up for airspace availability with short notice.
Oman (OOMM) airspace remains open.
Flights to Riyadh were paused early Tuesday morning after multiple drone strikes in the city.
Three flights bound for Dubai held outside of UAE airspace in the wake of a fresh wave of ballistic missiles launched at the city early Tuesday morning. Two Etihad flights diverted to Muscat, while the Emirates flight from Mumbai turned back toward Mumbai before resuming its journey to Dubai. The flight eventually landed in Dubai.
During a three hour window, between UTC 10:39 and 13:35 Etihad had 16 flights departing from Abu Dhabi (AUH). That window now appears to have closed.
The United Arab Emirates (OMAE) airspace is not outright closed, but remains restricted by way of Emergency Security Control of Air Traffic (ESCAT) zones, effectively limiting commercial air traffic at the moment.
The flights were:
| Flight | Callsign | Aircraft | Reg | Departure (UTC) | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EY67 | ETD1VW | A380 | A6-APF | 10:39 | London (LHR) |
| EY41 | ETD58B | B787-10 | A6-BMB | 10:50 | Amsterdam (AMS) |
| EY33 | ETD7NZ | B787-9 | A6-BLF | 11:02 | Paris (CDG) |
| EY843 | ETD843 | B787-10 | A6-BMD | 11:12 | Moscow (SVO) |
| EY294 | ETD5LZ | B787-9 | A6-BLE | 11:24 | Karachi (KHI) |
| EY204 | ETD204 | A350-1000 | A6-XWB | 11:35 | Mumbai (BOM) |
| EY300 | ETD8LM | B787-9 | A6-BLO | 11:45 | Islamabad (ISB) |
| EY216 | ETD216 | A350-1000 | A6-XWF | 11:55 | Delhi (DEL) |
| EY555 | ETD555 | B787-9 | A6-BLU | 12:10 | Riyadh (RUH) |
| EY611 | ETD611 | B777-300ER | A6-ETH | 12:16 | Jeddah (JED) |
| EY9781 | ETD9781 | B777F | A6-DDC | 12:45 | Dhaka (DAC) |
| EY713 | ETD7VB | B787-9 | A6-BLH | 12:55 | Cairo (CAI) |
| EY238 | ETD238 | B787-9 | A6-BNB | 13:05 | Bengaluru (BLR) |
| EY334 | ETD6EG | B787-9 | A6-BLZ | 13:15 | Kochi (COK) |
| EY571 | ETD571 | B787-9 | A6-BNA | 12:30 | Dammam (DMM) |
| EY694 | ETD694 | B787-9 | A6-BLD | 13:35 | Muscat (MCT) |
Jordan has announced via NOTAM that its airspace will be closed on a daily basis, between UTC 1500 and 0600, until March 5th. The airspace closure comes into effect today at UTC 1500 (1800, local time in Jordan).
The situation in the Middle East continues to evolve. NOTAMs closing and/or restricting airspace in the region have been extended multiple times, hence it is likely that this will occur again. That said, as of 0930 UTC on March 2nd, these are the estimated reopening times:
As the situation in the Middle East continues to evolve, NOTAMs closing airspace in the region have been extended multiple times. As of 0130 UTC on 2 March, these are the estimated reopening times:
The closure of Iranian airspace has been extended until an estimated 03 March at 0830. Further extensions are possible. A new NOTAM extending the closure was issued on 01 March at 0547 UTC.
Many of the NOTAMS closing airspace in the Middle East are set to expire late morning on 1 March. There is a very strong possibility that these NOTAMs will be extended. As of 0530 UTC on 1 March, these are the estimated reopening times:
A NOTAM reveals that Muscat Airport (MCT/OOMS) has closed temporarily. Oman airspace (Muscat FIR) however remains open for now, and all other airports in Oman remain open.
The situation is evolving rapidly. For clarity, the following countries have, at the time of writing, closed their airspace in its entirety:
Emirates FIR, the airspace covering the United Arab Emirates, technically remains open at this time — but no commercial aircraft is currently departing from or arriving at airports in the sector.
Syria has not entirely shut their airspace, but key ATS routes (DAM–BUSRA, DAM–ZELAF, DAM–MODIK, and DAM–SOKAN) have been closed.
NOTAM’s covering both Bahrain FIR (Flight Information region) and Doha FIR has been posted, revealing that the airspace above both Bahrain and Doha has been closed. Aircraft previously holding over the Persian Gulf, north of the UAE shoreline are now seen exiting the area, heading south.
The New York Times, CNN, and others are reporting that the United States is also striking Iran alongside Israel. As of 0715 UTC, airspace in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel is mostly empty with just a few remaining flights either landing or changing their flight path to exit those countries.
Flights are exiting Iraqi airspace or holding prior to entry. Though no official NOTAM has been posted yet, this is common when there are strikes by Israel or Iran.
Israel says it has launched “pre-emptive” strikes on Iran, with multiple news outlets reporting explosions in Tehran.
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