Airlines in Middle East rule out services resuming before Thursday

Some repatriation flights depart as governments around the world work to extract their citizens from the conflict-hit region

The biggest Middle East carriers have ruled out resuming scheduled flights until at least Thursday as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues, denting hopes of a swift return to normal air travel after the first repatriation flights left the United Arab Emirates.

Etihad, based in Abu Dhabi, said its commercial services were suspended until 2pm local time on Thursday 5 March, with Emirates ruling out scheduled flights until midnight on Wednesday.

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Why This Matters

The ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran has led to a significant disruption in air travel, with major Middle East carriers suspending scheduled flights until at least Thursday. This development has major implications for global travel, particularly for those trying to return home from the conflict-hit region. The repatriation flights that have departed so far are a welcome relief for those stranded.

In Week 10 2026, International accounted for 90 related article(s), with International setting the broader headline context. Coverage of International decreased by 29 article(s) versus the prior week, but remained material in the weekly agenda.

Coverage Snapshot

Week 10 2026 included 90 International article(s). Leading outlets for this topic included BBC, CNBC, NY Times. Across that cluster, sentiment showed a mostly neutral skew (avg score -0.01).

Key Insights

Primary keywords: flights, middle, east, world, live.
Topic focus: International coverage with neutral sentiment.
Source context: reported by Guardian Business.
Published: 2026-03-03.
Published by Guardian Business, a widely cited major outlet.
Date context: published during Week 10 2026, when International dominated weekly headlines.

Tone & Sentiment

The article tone is classified as neutral, driven by the language and emphasis in the summary. The sentiment score of 0.02 indicates the strength of that tone.

Context

The war on Iran has dominated headlines in recent days, with many outlets focusing on the escalating tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran. The Guardian has provided extensive coverage of the conflict, including live updates and in-depth analysis. Other major news outlets have also been following the story closely, highlighting the potential consequences for global stability and the aviation industry.

Related Topics

International

Key Takeaway

In short, this article underscores key movement in International and explains why it matters now.

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Guardian Business Airlines in Middle East rule out services resuming before Thursday