Middle East & North Africa

The body representing Arab airlines has condemned Iran’s targeting of airports in the Gulf, stating that such actions violate international norms.

New Yemeni airline FlyAden has officially taken delivery of its first aircraft, an Airbus A320, at Aden International Airport.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has secured a defense agreement with Qatar and is working to secure similar arrangements in the region.

In 2024 U.S., Foreign Military Sales reached a new record of $97 billion, more than double the levels seen between 2018 and 2021.

European missile manufacturer MBDA plans to “intensify” its production ramp-up in 2026, CEO Eric Beranger says.

The move is part of a dual-airport strategy supporting an airlift initiative transporting passengers and cargo to and from Kuwait via Saudi territory amid the regional conflict.

MBRAH and Lufthansa Technik open advanced aircraft painting/grinding center in Dubai to boost MRO efficiency for Middle East airlines.

Saudi Arabia will establish a national aerial firefighting service using Thrush agricultural aircraft.

Ryanair is experiencing a short-term spike in demand for short-haul bookings, as consumers seek alternatives to travel through or to the Gulf.

Sales of certain spare parts and other short-cycle commercial aftermarket activity face near-term risks from the Iran war.

Disruption to flights to and from the Gulf persists, with Iranian missiles and drones continuing to evade defenses and hit several of the region’s airports.

Will it remain a year of resilient demand for U.S. airlines? Much hinges on the duration of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Greek flag carrier Aegean Airlines has experienced a drop in booking flow of 8-10% because of the war in the Middle East,

Air Astana is seeing a significant surge in point-to-point and transit passengers through Kazakhstan as the war in the Middle East continues.

Over the next decade $121.3 billion is set to be spent on C4ISR and armed ISR aircraft, with $55.4 billion of the total already under contract, Aviation Week predicts.

High oil prices are also a huge concern to an air cargo industry that was dealing with tariff turmoil before the Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran in February.

EASA has extended its Conflict Zone Information Bulletin once again, advising airlines not to operate in the airspace of several countries in the Middle East.

Tunisia has announced plans to expand Tunis-Carthage International Airport, pledging investment of around $1 billion to boost its passenger throughput.

LCC Transavia has four Middle East destinations currently suspended along with a decline in bookings to neighboring countries like Cyprus, Egypt and Turkey.

Swiss International Air Lines sees an increased trend in bookings to the Far East as the capacity from Gulf carriers is less available.

Middle Eastern airlines are working to increase the numbers of flights they are operating.

Flights across the Gulf and surrounding regions remained heavily affected by the ongoing conflict in the region.

The Middle East conflict could prompt changes, but only if its duration stretches into months.

Airlines forced to suspend operations following airspace closures in the Middle East are now focusing on repatriation and repositioning flights.

Recovery from the major disruption to commercial aviation caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could take weeks, industry players said.