When eight countries close their airspace in a single night, the question that matters most to travellers is not which airports are shut. It is which airports are still running, which routes are actually safe to book, and where you can rely on finding a seat home.

Based on the current EASA Conflict Zone Bulletin CZIB 2026-03-R4, OPSGROUP operational advisories, and US State Department advisories updated through March 2026, here is a clear picture of where things stand.

The Airports That Are Actually Operating

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (RUH) — The Region's Primary Exit Point

Riyadh King Khalid International Airport has emerged as the most reliable operating hub in the entire region. Saudi Arabia kept its western and southern air corridors open throughout the conflict, and the airport has been running 24 hours a day, seven days a week without interruption since the strikes began.

The demand picture tells the story clearly. Passengers who would normally fly out of Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi are now travelling by road for ten hours or more to reach Riyadh. Al Arabiya reported that Riyadh has become the primary exit route for travellers stranded across the Gulf. Private charter flights out of King Khalid have reportedly been quoted as high as $350,000, which speaks to how acute the demand has become.

For regular passengers, fares are elevated but seats are available. Saudia is operating normally. Emirates and Qatar Airways have been using Riyadh as a transit anchor on rerouted services. If you are trying to get in or out of the broader region, Riyadh is the most dependable option available right now.

Muscat, Oman (MCT) — The Southern Bypass Hub

Muscat is the second most important functional airport in the region. Oman has not been directly targeted in the conflict, and the airport continues to accept commercial operations. Wego's operational guide to Muscat notes the airport is open, though overflying traffic faces altitude restrictions in southern Oman below FL320.

Private jet movements at Muscat reportedly surged tenfold in the first two weeks of the conflict, according to Bloomberg. Oman Air has suspended nine destinations through March 31, but the airport itself is open for connecting passengers and direct flights on active routes. Expect a war risk surcharge of between 15 and 25% reflected in ticket prices. Also plan to arrive at least four hours before departure, as ground delays of 30 to 60 minutes are common at Muscat for flight plan finalization while operators navigate restricted airspace nearby.

Cairo, Egypt (CAI) — The Reliable Western Hub

Cairo International Airport is operating normally and sits at Level 2 "Increased Caution" on the US State Department advisory scale. That is a significant distance from the "Depart Now" warnings in place across most Gulf countries. Egypt kept its airspace fully open throughout the conflict and is serving as a critical waypoint on the southern bypass corridor that airlines are now using to reroute flights between Europe and Asia.

For passengers needing a stable connecting hub to Africa, Europe, or the Levant, Cairo is one of the few genuinely dependable options in the region right now.

Dubai, UAE (DXB) — Partially Open, With Real Caution

Dubai International was the world's busiest international airport in 2025, handling 95.2 million passengers. Since the conflict began it has been partially operational, but the situation took a more serious turn on March 16 when a drone attack near the airport damaged a fuel storage tank. Emirates diverted a number of intercontinental flights to Abu Dhabi and Dubai World Central as a result.

Emirates was operating at approximately 90% of its pre-war capacity as of late March, which is a remarkable recovery given the circumstances. However, the US State Department has issued a "Depart Now" Level 4 advisory for the UAE, and the situation can change quickly. If you are transiting through Dubai, verify your airline's operational advisory the morning of your flight rather than relying on a status check made days earlier.

Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Doha (DOH) — Limited Operations

Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport is open with reduced operations. Etihad is operating from there and reached roughly 50% of its pre-war capacity by late March. Doha's Hamad International is the most constrained of the still-operating Gulf hubs. Qatar Airways is running approximately 20% of its normal schedule and has ferried nine widebody aircraft to storage in Spain. Operations at Doha are approved only via specific waypoints, described by OPSGROUP as "extremely limited."

The Two Corridors Airlines Are Actually Flying

The Southern Corridor

This is the primary route now being used by Emirates, Air India, Etihad, and most European carriers that have resumed Middle East services. Flights route via Egypt, cross Saudi Arabian airspace using western and southern corridors, then pass through or near Oman before continuing toward Asia, Africa, or the Indian subcontinent. Saudi Arabia's airspace is open with contingency routings defined in current NOTAMs. Oman's airspace is open above FL320 with specific altitude restrictions below that level.

The Northern Corridor

The northern bypass runs via Turkey, then through Armenia and Azerbaijan, across the Caspian Sea, and onward through Central Asian airspace. OPSGROUP notes that the Armenia and Azerbaijan corridor has become one of the primary Europe to Asia bypass routes as a result of the conflict. Japan Airlines and several Asian carriers are using variations of this routing to avoid the closed airspace further south. Be aware that GPS jamming has been reported near Riyadh on the southern route, so operators are accounting for this in flight planning.

Airports to Avoid Right Now

EASA advises operators to avoid all altitudes over Kuwait, Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, and the core UAE zone. Kuwait City Airport is effectively closed. Bahrain International is operating only approved departures, with Gulf Air having relocated its operations entirely to Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Tel Aviv Ben Gurion is operating on a prior permission only basis. Amman Queen Alia is intermittently open but sits at US Level 3 "Reconsider Travel," and the US Embassy temporarily relocated its staff from Jordan in March as a precaution.

Six Things to Do Before You Book

  1. Buy flexible fares. Avoid restricted or basic economy tickets for any itinerary touching the Middle East. The situation is changing week by week and refundable tickets are genuine protection right now. NPR's travel advisory on the conflict makes this point clearly.
  2. Route through Riyadh or Cairo, not Dubai or Doha. Expert consensus from aviation analysts is that Gulf hub connections carry real disruption risk for the next several months. If you can reach your destination via Riyadh or Cairo, that is the more reliable option.
  3. Check advisories the day of travel. Even airports operating normally last week have closed without notice. The IBTimes live list of Middle East airport status and your airline's own operational alerts are the most reliable real-time sources.
  4. Understand your passenger rights before you fly. Airlines are classifying many cancellations as extraordinary circumstances, which can limit compensation under EU261/2004 or equivalent rules. Flight Delayed has a plain-language breakdown of where you stand.
  5. Budget for higher fares and surcharges. War risk surcharges of 15 to 25% are being added at airports like Muscat. Jet fuel costs are structurally higher than before the conflict. Asia to Europe fares surged up to 560% in March alone, according to Bloomberg. Fares are not returning to pre-conflict levels in the near term.
  6. Know the PS752 precedent. In January 2020, Iran shot down a civilian airliner without warning while its military was on high alert. The ICAO final report on that incident is the defining document on why staying clear of Iranian airspace during any period of military activity is not overcaution. It is a lesson the aviation world learned at an enormous cost in 2020.

What the Longer View Looks Like

Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, noted in the organisation's official impact assessment that security-related travel disruptions have historically seen some of the fastest recovery times of any crisis, sometimes within two months of a ceasefire or resolution. Aviation demand has returned after every previous shock, including 9/11, SARS, and COVID-19.

But right now, the safest approach is to stay informed, stay flexible, and route carefully. Riyadh and Muscat are your anchors in the Gulf. Cairo is your western fallback. Everything else in the core conflict zone is operational only in a limited and unpredictable sense until the picture changes.