International airlines extend Middle East flight suspensions

International airlines have extended the suspension or reduction of flights to Middle East destinations, citing persistent geopolitical uncertainty and airspace restrictions. Carriers are advising passengers to check their flight status directly before travelling to the airport. Emirates has suspended flights from Dubai to Bahrain and Kuwait. While the airline previously stated these suspensions would last until at least 6 August, no flights were listed for these destinations until 11 August at the time of reporting. Air Canada has extended the suspension of its flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until mid-January 2027. The airline has urged affected passengers to contact them for rebooking or refunds, warning travellers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed flight on another carrier. KLM has suspended flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai until 6 September, continuing to avoid the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Israel and parts of the Persian Gulf. Air France has suspended Riyadh flights until 14 August, and Dubai and Beirut flights until 18 August, stating that any resumption depends on security assessments. Singapore Airlines has extended its Dubai suspension until 24 October, while its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, has paused Singapore-Jeddah flights until 12 September. Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Damascus, Beirut and Amman, though services to Iran remain suspended. Philippine Airlines has resumed Manila-Doha flights, but Dubai services remain suspended until 2 October. British Airways has delayed its phased return to the region, with flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain and Amman suspended until 25 October. Doha flights have been reduced to once daily, and Riyadh flights to once daily from 8 August. The airline has permanently ceased flights to Jeddah. Air Astana has suspended flights from Almaty and Astana to Dubai until 31 August, citing the deteriorating situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf region. Finnair has suspended Helsinki-Dubai flights until 24 October and will not operate Doha flights during the winter season for commercial reasons. Cathay Pacific has extended its suspension of Dubai and Riyadh flights until 25 and 26 October respectively. Lufthansa and Swiss have suspended Dubai flights until 13 September, while a wider range of services to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat and Tehran remain suspended until 24 October across the Lufthansa Group. ITA Airways has suspended Riyadh flights until 15 September and Dubai flights until 24 October. United Airlines continues to experience disruptions to Dubai and Tel Aviv services, offering rebooking or refunds for cancellations through 7 September. American Airlines is offering one-time fee-free changes for certain passengers travelling to or through Tel Aviv and Doha. IndiGo has warned passengers on Gulf routes from Indian cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, of potential schedule changes and advised them to verify flight status before departure.