As missiles fly in the Middle East, so too do flights… for now; DFAT response

Air travel in and through the Middle East continues to operate as usual, by and large, despite the resumption of hostilities between the US and Iran this week.

While normal scheduling – or at least the scheduling airlines had slowly resumed over the past few months – continues, carriers will no doubt be keeping a close eye on how the conflict evolves, especially as the renewed hostilities come during the peak northern summer travel period, and at a time when airlines continue to roll out schedules to meet demand.

A live look at the airspace over the Middle East region on FlightRadar24 also shows hundreds of flights operating normally, albeit still avoiding Iranian airspace.

The largest transit hubs for Europe-bound Australians are Dubai and Doha, served by Emirates and Qatar Airways (which also operates flights for Virgin Australia), respectively. According to the carriers’ respective websites, schedules are operating normally for both airlines. 

Arrivals and departures at Dubai International Airport and Doha’s Hamad International Airport appear to be unimpacted by the renewed tensions, according to their websites.

Another major hub, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, is likewise not reporting any major impact on its operations, as is the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) national airline, Etihad. 

Karryon has reached out to the three major carriers for updates. 

In addition, other airlines in the Persian Gulf region are operating normally for now, including Gulf Air, Saudia Airlines, Kuwait Airways and Royal Jordanian. 

It also appears to be business as usual for those carriers’ main hubs: Bahrain International Airport, King Khalid International Airport, Kuwait International Airport and Queen Alia International Airport, respectively.

Airspace update

On 8 July, the day US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire over, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) advised airlines to avoid airspace over Iran, Iraq and Lebanon until at least 31 August. 

“Unpredictable military developments, combined with the presence and possible use of a wide range of weapons and air defence systems, create a high risk to civil flights at all altitudes and flight levels,” it states.

“EASA, together with the Commission and Member States, will continue to closely monitor the situation, with a view to assess whether there is an increase or decrease of the risk for EU aircraft operators due to the evolution of the threat and risk situation.” 

The agency has lifted its earlier caution covering several other Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

DFAT advice

Over the past 24 hours, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has issued updated travel advice for several countries in the Middle East, including Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait.

However, it has not raised its travel alert level for any of these nations in response to the renewed conflict.

“Military conflict in the region may cause travel disruptions,” it states on the Smartraveller website in its UAE update.

“UAE airspace may open or close at short notice, impacting flights at Abu Dhabi and Dubai International Airports. Check the status of any border crossing before you travel by air, land or sea.”

Smartraveller advice (as of 1pm, 10 July 2026)

The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has declined to comment on the current situation in the Middle East.