KLM suspends Dubai flights until March 28 amid Middle East conflict

Wednesday 11 March 2026 - 15:50

By: Dakir Madiha

KLM suspends Dubai flights until March 28 amid Middle East conflict

Dutch airline KLM said Wednesday it will cancel all flights to and from Dubai until March 28 as the conflict affecting the Middle East continues to disrupt aviation routes across the region.

In a statement, the airline said the decision was taken because of ongoing instability in the region. “Due to the persistent unrest in the Middle East, KLM has decided to cancel all flights to Dubai until and including March 28,” the company said, adding that passenger and crew safety remains its top priority.

The move extends an earlier suspension that had been scheduled to end on March 11, according to KLM’s travel alert page. The carrier, part of the Air France KLM group, had already halted flights to Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia until March 10 and suspended its Tel Aviv service for the remainder of the winter season.

KLM joins a growing number of airlines scaling back operations in the Gulf as the regional conflict intensifies. British Airways announced on March 10 that it had canceled all flights to Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv until the end of the month. The airline also suspended its service to Abu Dhabi for the rest of 2026.

Lufthansa has extended cancellations to Dubai and Abu Dhabi until March 15 and suspended flights to Tehran until April 30. Cathay Pacific has canceled all Hong Kong to Dubai flights until March 31, marking the longest suspension among Asian carriers. Virgin Atlantic also confirmed that its Dubai service will remain suspended for the remainder of the winter schedule.

Despite the wave of cancellations, the United Arab Emirates’ national airlines Emirates and Etihad continue operating flights, though with restrictions following repeated airspace closures and disruptions at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest hub for international passengers.

The broader conflict, triggered by coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran beginning February 28, has led to widespread airspace closures across the region. At least nine countries have shut portions of their airspace, including Iran, Iraq, Israel and several Gulf states, forcing the cancellation of more than 32,000 flights.

KLM said it is working with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on evacuation efforts for stranded nationals. The Netherlands has already organized several repatriation flights from Muscat in Oman, bringing home nearly 1,000 Dutch citizens using a combination of aircraft from KLM, Transavia, TUI, Corendon and military transport planes.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen told parliament earlier this month that the government was reviewing all available options to assist citizens abroad, though he acknowledged that widespread airspace closures have complicated evacuation operations.