The three major Gulf carriers — Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways — have suspended all flight operations indefinitely following the Iran crisis. Emirates alone diverted 47 aircraft that were en route when the strikes began. Combined, the three airlines operate over 700 aircraft serving more than 300 destinations worldwide.
The grounding affects hundreds of thousands of passengers globally. Emirates and Etihad are based in the UAE; Qatar Airways in Doha — all of which are in the conflict zone. Additionally, regional carriers flydubai, Air Arabia, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways, and Jazeera Airways have all ceased operations.
All three carriers are offering full refunds or free rebooking. Emirates has set up dedicated customer service lines for affected passengers. The financial impact on these airlines is estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars per week of grounding. Aviation analysts warn of potential long-term route network changes if the conflict persists.
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