If the geopolitical situation in the Gulf remains as uncertain as ever, it would seem that air transport in the region is beginning to return to a "more normal" pace.
The region's airports no longer appear, at least for the time being, to be prime targets for Iranian drones. At the same time, the civil aviation authorities in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have put in place more effective surveillance systems to guarantee both aircraft movements at the various airports and air corridors.
As a result, the schedules of the main airlines in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai and Muscat are returning to more traditional activity with the introduction of the summer schedules, starting on 28 March. For the moment, the schedules offered by Emirates, Etihad, flyDubai and Qatar Airways are valid until 15 or 30 April.
However, damage to Bahrain and Kuwait airports has prevented any resumption of traffic from these two hubs.
A growing programme
– Emirates now offers a network covering 127 destinations, very close to its pre-conflict network. A dozen destinations, mainly in Australia and the Middle East, remain suspended. But ten routes have been reopened, including Lyon-Dubai.
In French-speaking Europe, Emirates offers 2 daily Airbus A380 flights to Paris-CDG, 5 weekly Airbus A380 flights to Nice and 3 weekly Airbus A350 flights to Lyon. The airline also offers a daily flight to Brussels and Geneva. Both flights are operated with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
– Etihad has also expanded its schedule. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier is once again serving 75 destinations, offering flights to eight additional cities, while around ten destinations - again mainly in the Middle East - remain suspended.
In French-speaking Europe, Etihad is putting an Airbus A380 back into service on one of these two daily flights from Paris-CDG. The airline is also offering a weekly flight to Brussels and Geneva, for a total of 5 flights a week to each city, operated by Boeing 787.
– FlyDubai is once again offering more than 100 destinations to and from Dubai. This represents 29 additional destinations compared to mid-March. The airline will resume services from Basel-Mulhouse on 30 March, with three flights a week by Boeing 737MAX.
– Gulf Air still does not serve Bahrain, but has a small presence from Dammam airport in Saudi Arabia, 85 km from the kingdom's border. It has been offering three flights a week between Paris and Dammam since 21 March using a Boeing 787.
– Oman Air continues to offer four weekly flights to Paris-CDG by Boeing 787-9.
– Qatar Airways once again serves 85 destinations, but its European network remains very limited, with just 14 cities until 15 April. Paris-CDG nevertheless benefits from a daily Airbus A350 flight.
Nevertheless, as long as the situation in the Persian Gulf remains uncertain, local airlines are asking their passengers to check carefully that the scheduled frequencies will actually take place, and to go to the airport only with a duly confirmed flight. For the time being, all airlines are offering total flexibility when it comes to handling bookings and refund conditions.
