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Skift • Deepthi Nair

Iran war reshapes Gulf travel behavior: carriers restore ~75% capacity, but demand stays “search-first” and fares face jet-fuel

Since the Iran war disrupted Gulf airspace, Middle Eastern airlines have restored almost three-quarters of operational capacity, yet booking behavior has shifted—travelers appear to search without committing. IATA warns that elevated jet-fuel costs could push fares higher, even as international travel to/from India shows more resilience than the disruption might suggest.

2026-05-21T04:43:49.409532-07:00

Bloomberg

easyJet flags summer booking slowdown and no-fuel-crisis plan amid Iran-conflict jet-fuel spike

2026-05-21T00:39:38.846598-07:00

FlightGlobal

El Al first-quarter loss as Iran war disrupts flights, closes Israeli airspace, and lifts fuel costs; net profit hit estimated a

2026-05-20T15:09:20.514367-07:00

economymiddleeast.com

Qatar Airways FY2025/26 profit holds up amid Middle East disruption; net profit down 10% to QR7.08bn

2026-05-20T02:05:37.426710-07:00

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Skift

Iran war reshapes Gulf travel behavior: carriers restore ~75% capacity, but demand stays “search-first” and fares face jet-fuel Since the Iran war disrupted Gulf airspace, Middle Eastern airlines have restored almost three-quarters of operational capacity, yet booking behavior has shifted—travelers appear to search without committing. IATA warns that elevated jet-fuel costs could push fares higher, even as international travel to/from India shows more resilience than the disruption might suggest.

2026-05-21T04:43:49.409532-07:00

Iran war reshapes Gulf travel behavior: carriers restore ~75% capacity, but demand stays “search-first” and fares face jet-fuel

AeroTime

Etihad Airways triples Paris-CDG A380 service with two daily superjumbo flights from 1 July Etihad Airways will expand its Abu Dhabi–Paris-CDG operation to three daily flights, using two Airbus A380s each day from 1 July. The move makes Paris one of a limited set of destinations served by two A380 departures per day and increases first-class capacity.

2026-05-21T01:53:51.488538-07:00

Etihad Airways triples Paris-CDG A380 service with two daily superjumbo flights from 1 July

Bloomberg

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easyJet flags summer booking slowdown and no-fuel-crisis plan amid Iran-conflict jet-fuel spike easyJet says bookings for the summer period are running behind last year, citing uncertainty tied to the Iran conflict and higher fuel costs. The carrier reported a widening half-year loss (436m euros, up 27%) while insisting it will operate its full summer schedule and keep fare rises to a minimum despite market concerns of potential jet-fuel shortages.

2026-05-21T00:39:38.846598-07:00

easyJet flags summer booking slowdown and no-fuel-crisis plan amid Iran-conflict jet-fuel spike

FlightGlobal

El Al first-quarter loss as Iran war disrupts flights, closes Israeli airspace, and lifts fuel costs; net profit hit estimated a El Al posted a first-quarter net loss of $67 million, citing Iran-war-related operational disruption, closure of Israeli airspace and higher fuel costs. The carrier estimated the Middle East conflict would have cut net profit by $145 million versus a would-have-been profitable period, also weighing on results through currency effects.

2026-05-20T15:09:20.514367-07:00

El Al first-quarter loss as Iran war disrupts flights, closes Israeli airspace, and lifts fuel costs; net profit hit estimated a

FlightGlobal

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Emirates completes first retrofit of two-class Airbus A380 with upper-deck Premium Economy (15-ship program) Emirates has returned the first retrofitted two-class Airbus A380 to service after adding a Premium Economy cabin upstairs, shifting from a 615-seat high-density layout toward a three-cabin configuration. The airline says this is the first milestone in a plan to refurbish 15 similarly configured A380s.

2026-05-20T03:24:11.490593-07:00

Emirates completes first retrofit of two-class Airbus A380 with upper-deck Premium Economy (15-ship program)

economymiddleeast.com

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Qatar Airways FY2025/26 profit holds up amid Middle East disruption; net profit down 10% to QR7.08bn Qatar Airways Group reported post-tax profit of QR7.08 billion ($1.94 billion) for FY2025/26, a 10% year-on-year decline, while improving operating performance as the US–Israel vs Iran conflict disrupted Middle East hubs and operations. The airline carried 41+ million passengers and said it plans to add 210 new Boeing widebodies.

2026-05-20T02:05:37.426710-07:00

Qatar Airways FY2025/26 profit holds up amid Middle East disruption; net profit down 10% to QR7.08bn

Aviation Source

flynas inaugurates fifth Saudi operating base at Abha International Airport flynas has opened its fifth operations base at Abha International Airport, making it the first Saudi airline to operate from five major bases across the Kingdom. The expansion increases its footprint beyond existing station coverage and supports a broader domestic and regional network.

2026-05-19T15:00:21.183971-07:00

flynas inaugurates fifth Saudi operating base at Abha International Airport

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa push back Middle East flight resumptions; Lufthansa targets Dubai no earlier than Sept Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa have extended suspensions to multiple Middle East destinations. Lufthansa’s return to Dubai is now not expected until Sept. 13 at the earliest, while British Airways has postponed the resumption window to August and cut frequencies to Dubai, Doha, Riyadh and Tel Aviv.

2026-05-19T11:11:59.258114-07:00

Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa push back Middle East flight resumptions; Lufthansa targets Dubai no earlier than Sept

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Middle East News

Iran war reshapes Gulf travel behavior: carriers restore ~75% capacity, but demand stays “search-first” and fares face jet-fuel

easyJet flags summer booking slowdown and no-fuel-crisis plan amid Iran-conflict jet-fuel spike

El Al first-quarter loss as Iran war disrupts flights, closes Israeli airspace, and lifts fuel costs; net profit hit estimated a

Qatar Airways FY2025/26 profit holds up amid Middle East disruption; net profit down 10% to QR7.08bn

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