Asian Airlines Suspend Middle East Services Amid Ongoing Conflict -- Update

By Megan Cheah

Asian airlines are temporarily halting flights to and from the Middle East after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran disrupted regional air travel.

Japan Airlines suspended flights between Tokyo and Doha, citing the escalating geopolitical situation. The carrier said Saturday that it couldn't ensure passenger safety on the route.

Singapore Airlines canceled its twice-daily flights between Singapore and Dubai from Feb. 28 to March 7, citing Middle East tensions. Its budget subsidiary Scoot also suspended flights to and from Jeddah over the same period.

Cathay Pacific Airways suspended its Middle East services, citing regional instability. The Hong Kong-based carrier said it would halt flights to and from Dubai from Feb. 28 to March 5, and to and from Riyadh from Feb. 28 to March 3.

In China, Hainan Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines eased ticketing policies for flights to destinations including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah and Cairo. The carriers are allowing changes and refunds under certain conditions starting Feb. 28.

Korean Air canceled flights between Incheon and Dubai until March 5, citing regional geopolitical stability. It said flights from March 6 onwards will be determined by further developments in the Middle East.

Middle Eastern airlines halted operations as airspace across parts of the region remained closed. Emirates said it would suspend operations to and from Dubai until March 2. Qatar Airways said its flights were suspended as the Qatari airspace remains closed.

Turkish Airlines canceled flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan until March 2, its senior communications executive Yahya Ustun wrote on X. Flights scheduled for Feb. 28 to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman were also canceled.

Passengers booked on flights to and from the U.A.E., Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia's Dammam and Riyadh from Feb. 28 to March 5 will be eligible for refunds or rebooking. Similar flexibility applies to flights to and from Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Jordan from Feb. 28 to March 12.

Air travel in the Middle East ground to a halt after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday local time.

U.S. President Trump said the goal was to "defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime." Iran has since retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. bases in the region.

Airline stocks broadly fell Monday. Japan Airlines slid 5.7%, while Singapore Airlines shares dropped 4.5%. The South Korean market is closed for a holiday.

Hong Kong-listed Cathay Pacific declined 2.9%, China Eastern Airlines' and China Southern Airlines' H shares fell 7.0% and 8.5%, respectively, while Air China's H shares lost 4.9%.

In Shanghai, Hainan Airlines fell 3.5%, Air China dropped 3.2% and China Southern Airlines shed 5.0%. China Eastern Airlines' A shares declined 3.0%. India's InterGlobe Aviation slid 4.2% and SpiceJet fell 4.7%.

--Kosaku Narioka and Jihye Lee contributed to this article.

Write to Megan Cheah at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

03-01-26 2357ET