Condé Nast Traveller Middle East updated its travel advisory on 27 July 2026, warning that flight schedules across the Gulf remain “highly fluid” even after Washington announced a pause in retaliatory action against Iran. The report highlights the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) conflict-zone bulletin urging carriers to avoid UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman airspace until at least 29 July. Major international airlines—including Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and British Airways—have extended suspensions of their Dubai and Abu Dhabi services, while others such as Emirates and Etihad continue to fly reduced networks using lengthier detours over the Arabian Sea. Travellers are experiencing longer block times, technical fuel stops in southern Europe, and last-minute schedule changes as operators juggle crew-duty limits. For mobility managers, the advisory underscores several practical risks: 1) corporate insurance policies may exclude conflict-zone routings; 2) emergency evacuation planning must consider potential closure of key Gulf hubs; and 3) employees may require extra days of annual leave or additional transit visas if routings change mid-journey. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority states that national airports are fully operational, but advises passengers to confirm flight status up to the point of departure. Companies with rotational assignees or fly-in-fly-out staff should revalidate itineraries daily and keep copies of e-visas and hotel bookings on mobile devices to speed re-accommodation. While analysts expect traffic to normalise once the EASA advisory lapses, any renewed military activity could trigger fresh bans. Firms are therefore advised to diversify routings—e.g., via Jeddah or Muscat—and to brief assignees on security protocols for overnight delays in transit cities.
Source: Condé Nast Traveller Middle East
