Every GCC airport is open and Gulf carriers are flying. Kuwait is closed to overflights until 2 October, three southern Saudi airports are shut, and delays and short-notice cancellations are running across the region after the strikes of 1 and 2 September.
Here is the current airspace, airport and airline status, and what to check before you travel.
GCC Status at a Glance
Airports are running and Gulf-based airlines are flying. Many foreign carriers are still away, because European regulators rate Gulf airspace high risk until at least the end of September.
Statuses move faster than any article can. Our Middle East airport status tracker refreshes hourly from NOTAMs and civil aviation announcements, and covers every hub named here plus Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Türkiye.
Where Things Stand
There is no ceasefire. US forces struck Iranian military sites on 1 September, and Iran answered with missiles and drones aimed at targets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and northern Iraq, which Gulf and Jordanian air defences intercepted. No Gulf airport closed, but airlines cancelled and delayed services at short notice across 2 and 3 September.
European regulators have five high-risk conflict-zone bulletins in force, all valid to 30 September unless reviewed earlier: the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Gulf-based airlines assess risk through their own national authorities and keep flying, while many foreign carriers follow the European advice and have paused Gulf routes into late October.
GPS interference is widespread across Gulf airspace and there is heavy air traffic control congestion in the Jeddah flight information region. Both add delay rather than stopping flights.
Which Airlines Are Flying
Gulf carriers are operating and rebuilding. Emirates is flying about 140 destinations from Dubai, and has restored one daily Bahrain service and two daily Kuwait services. Etihad runs three to four daily Abu Dhabi to Bahrain flights and one daily to Kuwait. Qatar Airways is back to more than 160 destinations, roughly 85 percent of its pre-war network, including Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait and Erbil. Gulf Air is rebuilding from Bahrain and adds Kuala Lumpur from 29 September. flydubai and Air Arabia are flying reduced schedules, and their Saudi, Kuwait and Bahrain routes are the ones most likely to change at short notice.
Among foreign carriers, Air France resumed Dubai and Riyadh on 26 August. Turkish Airlines, Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, flynas and Jazeera Airways are all serving the UAE.
These carriers have published return dates and have not yet returned:
| Airline | Published return |
|---|---|
| Scoot | Jeddah, 12 September |
| Lufthansa Group | Dubai, 13 September at the earliest; other Gulf routes 24 October |
| ITA Airways | Riyadh 15 September; Dubai 24 October |
| Wizz Air | Amman 21 September; Dubai and Abu Dhabi 24 October |
| Philippine Airlines | Dubai, 2 October |
| KLM | Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai, 24 October |
| Singapore Airlines | Dubai, 24 October |
| airBaltic | Dubai, 24 October |
| British Airways | Dubai, Bahrain and Amman, 25 October. Jeddah dropped permanently |
| Cathay Pacific | Dubai 25 October; Riyadh 26 October |
| Air Canada | Dubai, mid-January 2027 |
| Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic | No date. Virgin Atlantic has dropped Dubai from the winter schedule |
Treat every published return date as provisional. Several have already moved more than once.
For US carriers, the answer now differs by route, and we track it separately in our Delta, United and American status update.
What This Means When You Book
Gulf-based carriers are the more reliable choice right now, because they are flying while many foreign airlines are not. When you compare flights on Wego, check which airline actually operates each leg, because on a codeshare the operating carrier decides whether you fly. If your flight is on a suspended airline you are owed a refund or a rebooking, and our refund and rebooking guide sets out how to claim it.
What Government Travel Advisories Say
Advice varies by country and changes fast, so check your own government’s page for your destination before you book.
- United States: Level 3, reconsider travel, across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- United Kingdom: no advice against travel, but the FCDO warns of short-notice airspace closures and publishes shelter-in-place guidance for the Gulf.
- Canada: avoid non-essential travel to the UAE, updated 1 September, citing renewed missile and drone activity.
- Australia: reconsider your need to travel, and Smartraveller says that covers transiting the region, not just visiting it.
Visa and Overstay Rules in the GCC
The emergency overstay waivers that Gulf states offered stranded travellers earlier this year have ended, and standard visa rules and overstay fines apply again across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait.
Kuwait was the last to close its scheme, on 1 September. Its extra absence period now applies only to residents who left on or before 31 August, and its Ministry of Interior treats the residency certificate in the Sahel app as the official record of when a permit expires.
If your visa is close to expiring, extend it through the official immigration portal or arrange your exit now. Our GCC visa overstay and extension guide has the country-by-country detail.
Before You Fly
The airline app is the final word: confirm your flight is operating, not just that the airport is open. Do not cancel first, because a voluntary cancellation runs under your fare rules and may cost you the fare. Check the booking carries a current phone number and email, since many airlines only contact affected passengers directly, and screenshot any cancellation notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to fly to the GCC right now?
Gulf airports are open and Gulf-based airlines are operating, so travel is possible. The region is not calm. Iran fired missiles and drones at Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and northern Iraq in early September, Kuwait remains closed to overflights, and European regulators rate Gulf airspace high risk to at least 30 September. Check your government’s travel advice and confirm your flight before you go.
Are Gulf airports open?
Yes. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Muscat, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Bahrain and Kuwait are all open and processing flights, with delays and short-notice cancellations. Abha, Jizan and Najran in southern Saudi Arabia are closed. Check the live tracker and confirm your own flight with the airline.
Is Kuwait airport open?
Yes, with restrictions. Kuwait International is open, but Kuwaiti airspace is closed to overflights until 2 October, and arrivals and departures need prior approval. Kuwait Airways operates from Terminal 4 and Jazeera Airways from Terminal 5. Terminal assignments have moved several times this year, so confirm yours with the airline.
Why are British Airways, Lufthansa and other foreign airlines still suspended?
European and many other foreign carriers follow the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, whose bulletin advises operators to avoid the Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha, Emirates and Muscat flight information regions over Gulf waters, and which now runs to 30 September. Gulf-based airlines assess risk through their own national authorities and keep flying. Most suspended carriers are targeting a late-October return.
Sources
- EASA CZIB-2026-07R2 (Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman high-risk rating, affected flight information regions and the 30 September validity date)
- EASA conflict zone advisories (the five bulletins in force for the Gulf, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon)
- OPSGROUP Middle East airspace picture (Kuwait overflight ban to 2 October, southern Saudi airport closures, GPS interference and Jeddah congestion)
- Al Jazeera (US strikes on Iran of 1 September and Iran’s claimed attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq)
- The National (which airlines are flying and the published return dates of those that are not)
- Khaleej Times (Kuwait ending visit-visa and absence-permit extensions on 1 September)
- Dubai Airports (live DXB and DWC flight status)
- Hamad International Airport (live Doha flight status)
- Emirates travel updates (Emirates network and route changes)
- Etihad travel updates (Etihad Bahrain and Kuwait frequencies)
- Qatar Airways travel alerts (Qatar Airways network recovery and rebooking terms)
- UK FCDO (UK advice and shelter-in-place guidance)
- US State Department (Level 3 advisories across the GCC)
- Government of Canada (avoid non-essential travel to the UAE, 1 September)
- Smartraveller (Australian advice, including that it covers transit)
Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.
