The Flightradar24 data shows that the airlines based in the Gulf region are recovering quickly from the disruptions caused by war, with Gulf Air of Bahrain reaching 93% of pre-war flights and Etihad matching it, while low cost carriers Flydubai and Air Arabia remain behind others.
The aviation industry in the Middle East is recovering at an astounding rate. According to Reuters, the flight recovery for airlines in the Gulf region has reached 82% of their prewar level, based on flight tracking information gathered by Flightradar24. This remarkable recovery comes after several months of turmoil that was brought about by the war in Iran.
What are the Gulf airlines spearheading the recovery process?
The recovery process is being spearheaded by the Gulf Air airline company and the Kuwait Airlines with Gulf Air already having recovered to about 93% of its pre-war volume and the Kuwait Airline having recovered to about 86%. In some instances, these airlines have managed to exceed 100% of their previous flight volumes.
Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways see the most dramatic revival
This revival is especially meaningful for Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways because both carriers have just a couple of weeks ago managed to restore their operations up to 40-50% of what they had prior to the outbreak of the war. Now, Etihad Airways operates at 93%, and Qatar Airways operates at 87%.
Rebuilding passengers’ trust is the aim of Emirates Airways
During the Gulf crisis, Emirates Airways sustained better levels of operations than its peers in the region, even though the airline had incurred greater costs to sustain the operations. With operations stabilizing at 86%, Emirates Airways has started focusing more on rebuilding passengers’ trust in the region.
“The airline’s priority is reassuring travelers about flight safety and reliability as regional skies stabilize.” Tim Clark, Emirates President
Low cost airlines not quite keeping pace with the overall comeback
While the comeback of flights for the airlines in the Gulf region has been highly uneven, the situation is even more problematic for the low-cost carriers from the UAE. Air Arabia has recovered only to 75% of its pre-war flight levels, while Flydubai has done worst of all with its operations at just 57% of what they were before the war began.
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Etihad adds more flavor to its return with travel insurance
Apart from resuming flights, Etihad Airways has launched free medical insurance for travelers landing in Abu Dhabi during July to December 2026 a move intended to promote quick return of visitors to the UAE and bolster their faith in travel security within the region.
The diplomatic deal reached by Washington and Tehran, which involves a promise to stop aggression and reopen flights through the air space and sea in the Gulf, is at the bottom of the more general rise in confidence levels seen in airlines, passengers, and tourism companies. Even while emphasizing the precariousness of the current state of affairs, the authorities are being advised by experts from the industry that the opening up of regional air space and continued diplomatic achievements might further boost the recovery of the Gulf airlines’ flights. As such, the implications of the recovery extend far beyond just the airlines, because the Gulf acts as a bridge between Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Nayab Fatima is a university graduate and an emerging media professional with a strong passion for journalism, research, and independent reporting. She specializes in developing well-researched, fact-based, and analytical news stories covering a wide range of sectors, with particular expertise in technology, telecommunications, aviation, and the automobile industry.
