CAPA News Briefs

Aegean Airlines announced (05-Mar-2026) plans to extend the suspension of services to the following Middle East destinations:

• Tel Aviv, Beirut, Erbil and Baghdad: Until 13-Mar-2026;
• Dubai and Abu Dhabi: Until 12-Mar-2026;
• Riyadh: Until 09-Mar-2026. [more - original PR]

flynas and flyadeal, via their respective official Twitter accounts, confirmed (05/06-Mar-2026) the following updates for Saudi Arabia services as of 05/06-Mar-2026:

• flynas: "Due to the continued closure of airspace to some international destinations as a result of current events, it has been decided to extend the suspension of flights to and from" the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Syria until 21:00 UTC" on 09-Mar-2026. The LCC announced it will be "Operating limited exceptional flights between Saudi Arabia and Dubai starting from" 06-Mar-2026, connecting Riyadh and Jeddah to Dubai International. "Please note that all other scheduled flights to/from Dubai remain suspended";
• flyadeal: "Due to ongoing developments... flyadeal confirms the cancellation of its flights to Amman, Damascus and Dubai" until 23:59 Saudi Arabia time on 12-Mar-2026.

Lufthansa Group, via its official website, announced (Mar-2026) its airlines will extend the suspension of services to the following Middle East destinations:

• Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Dammam: Until 10-Mar-2026;
• Amman and Erbil: Until 15-Mar-2026;
• Tel Aviv: Until 22-Mar-2026;
• Beirut: Until 28-Mar-2026;
• Tehran: Until 30-Apr-2026.

Lufthansa Group also announced plans to resume service to Larnaca from 07-Mar-2026.

AirBorneo, via its official LinkedIn account, announced (05-Mar-2026) it introduced an online check in option for services operating with ATR 72-500 aircraft, enabling passengers to select seats and access electronic boarding passes online up to 48 hours prior to departure. The airline noted: "For our DHC-6-400 Twin Otter flights, check-in will continue at airport counters to ensure the best assistance at remote airstrips".

Gulf Air and Bahrain International Airport, via their respective official websites and Twitter accounts, announced (05-Mar-2026) "Flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Bahrain's airspace, as mandated by the Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority". The airline reported "it successfully repatriated over 400 transit passengers affected by recent regional developments and the temporary closure of airspace in several countries in the region". Gulf Air "continues to monitor developments closely and will resume normal operations once airspace conditions permit". [more - original PR]

Turkish Airlines CFO Murat Seker stated (05-Mar-2026) Turkish Airlines Group plans to expand the fleet from 516 aircraft in 2025 to up to 570 in 2026. Turkish Airlines will receive 26 aircraft and retire four aircraft. AJet will receive 58 aircraft and retire 26 aircraft. Mr Seker added: "For the following year 2027, we target an overall 610 aircraft fleet size, and for 2028 the number should grow to 630". [more - Aviation Week]

Turkish Airlines CFO Murat Seker stated (05-Mar-2026) the carrier decreased Middle East frequencies from 100 to 35 times daily. Suspended routes constitute 6% of the carrier's capacity and revenue. [more - Aviation Week]

Oman Airports, Oman Air and SalamAir, via their respective Twitter accounts, announced (05/06-Mar-2026) the following updates for Oman services as of 05/06-Mar-2026:

• Oman Airports: "Oman Airports would like to confirm that Muscat International Airport, Salalah International Airport and Sohar Airport remain fully operational and open for business during the current regional disruption. As one of the few airports in the region currently operating 24 hours a day without slot constraints, Oman Airports is well positioned to support airlines requiring operational flexibility, additional capacity, or temporary network adjustments. For new airlines considering operations to Oman, Oman Airports will work closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Oman to help facilitate and expedite regulatory approvals wherever possible. Given the current disruption to regional air connectivity, Oman can also serve as an alternative entry point to the Gulf, with onward land transportation connections possible to several GCC destinations";
• Oman Air: Due to ongoing regional airspace closures, services to/from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab due to depart 06/07/08-Mar-2026 are cancelled. "All other flights are operating as scheduled; however, some delays may be expected. Oman Air will operate additional flights to/from" London Heathrow, Istanbul, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Cairo and Mumbai between 07-Mar-2026 and 16-Mar-2026;
• SalamAir: "Due to airspace closures in certain destinations as a result of ongoing regional developments... Flights to and from Kuwait, Sharjah, Doha & Dammam are suspended until [20-Mar-2026]" and "Flights to and from Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran are suspended until" 28-Mar-2026. "To accommodate increased travel demand, SalamAir will operate additional flights from Muscat to the following destinations":
  • Fujairah: Twice daily until 20-Mar-2026;
  • Istanbul: Daily until 10-Mar-2026;
  • Cairo Sphinx: Daily on 05/07/08-Mar-2026.

Qatar Airways announced (05-Mar-2026) plans to "start operating a limited number of relief flights from [05-Mar-2026} to support passengers who are stranded due to the current situation across the region", comprising:

• Muscat to London Heathrow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam;
• Riyadh-Frankfurt.

The airline stated: "Passengers are kindly requested not to proceed to the airport unless they have received an official notification from Qatar Airways for these flights". [more - original PR]

Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi Airports, via their official websites and social media accounts, confirmed (05/06-Mar-2026) the following updates for UAE services as of 05/06-Mar-2026:

• Emirates Airline: "With the limited re-opening of airspace, Emirates is operating a reduced flight schedule until further notice. Flights to... [82 international destinations] are currently operating" on 05/06-Mar-2026;
• Etihad Airways: "Etihad Airways will resume a limited commercial flight schedule from [06-Mar-2026}, operating between Abu Dhabi and a number of key destinations. The following destinations are scheduled to operate to and from Abu Dhabi between [06-Mar-2026 and 19-Mar-2026]: Ahmedabad, Bangkok, Bengaluru, Cairo, Colombo, Delhi, Frankfurt, Hanoi, Hyderabad, Jeddah, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Madrid, Malé, Milan Malpensa, Moscow Sheremetyevo, Mumbai, New York JFK, Paris, Phuket, Riyadh, Rome, Seoul Incheon, Toronto and Zurich. All other scheduled commercial services to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended";
• flydubai: "flydubai has resumed operations across its network with a reduced schedule. We are continuously updating our schedule and adding more flights as airspace restrictions are lifted. Flight durations may be longer than usual due to the temporary rerouting of some flight paths";
• Dubai International Airport: "Most flights remain suspended. Please do not come to the airport unless your airline has confirmed your departure time. Guests without a confirmed flight may not be able to access the terminals";
• Abu Dhabi Airports: "Abu Dhabi Airports announces that cargo operations at [Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport] and Al Ain International Airport (AAN) are fully operational, with both airports ready to accommodate and schedule cargo flights". [more - original PR - Emirates] [more - original PR - Etihad - II] [more - original PR - flydubai - III]

Grenada Tourism Authority, via its official Facebook account, announced (02-Mar-2026) the Grenada Online ED Card Platform is now live. Travellers can complete their ED Card online before arrival in Grenada, facilitating a faster entry process.

American Express opened (05-Mar-2026) its first Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge in Concourse D at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport, a new concept within the Centurion Lounge network. The lounge is American Express' second at the airport and features restaurant-style ordering and modern amenities including private restrooms, accessible power outlets and complimentary WiFi. [more - original PR]