IATA seeks the safety of civilian aircraft as the Middle East is hit by cancellations

As major airspaces in the region continue to be closed for civilian air traffic, including in the GCC, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for caution.    

“We all hope for an early, peaceful resolution to the current hostilities. In the meantime, states must respect their obligation to keep civilians and civil aviation free from harm,” Willie Walsh, the IATA Director General, said on Monday.

As of Monday, the Middle East is seeing widespread cancellations of scheduled flight arrivals - 74.44% in the UAE, Qatar  81.68%, Jordan 47.42%, Bahrain 96.67%, Saudi Arabia 13.97%, and Oman 22.64%.

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 7.2% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 7.8% year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.2% (-0.4 ppt compared to January 2025).

Events over the weekend have, however, introduced some uncertainty into the evolution of traffic and fuel costs. We all hope for an early, peaceful resolution to the current hostilities. In the meantime, states must respect their obligation to keep civilians and civil aviation free from harm,” said Walsh.