Gulf air corridors reopen cautiously as evacuations take shape

Nearly 1,900 of more than 5,450 flights scheduled to the Middle East were canceled Tuesday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Jack Dutton

Mar 3, 2026

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Middle Eastern aviation remained in turmoil Tuesday as prolonged airspace closures and flight suspensions stretched into a fourth day of the US-Israel-Iran war, even as governments and airlines began limited evacuation flights.

What happened: Nearly 1,900 of more than 5,450 flights scheduled to the Middle East were canceled Tuesday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

A limited number of flights operated by the United Arab Emirates’ Etihad, Emirates and flydubai departed Monday and Tuesday, offering some relief to travelers stranded amid widespread Middle Eastern airspace closures caused by the expanding conflict between Israel, the United States and Iran that spilled into neighboring countries.

UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri said Tuesday that the country had opened safe air corridors in coordination with other Gulf countries, with a current handling capacity of 48 flights per hour.

At a government media briefing, Marri said, "The capacity as of today, based on the emergency routes available, is 48 flights per hour with a possibility of increasing this figure at a later stage, according to the latest development and security........

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