Emirates is preparing to restore its full global schedule within days as Middle Eastern airspace gradually reopens after a week of unprecedented disruption that forced Gulf carriers to sharply curtail operations.
The Dubai-based airline — the world’s largest international carrier — has been operating a reduced network since late February after escalating regional tensions triggered widespread airspace closures and security restrictions across parts of the Gulf.
Those closures effectively fractured the main transit corridor linking Europe, Asia and Australia, stranding thousands of passengers and disrupting the hub-and-spoke system on which Gulf airlines depend.
After a few days shut down Emirates has run a limited schedule designed primarily to move stranded passengers and essential cargo through Dubai.
By early March the airline was operating around 106 daily return flights to 83 destinations, carrying about 30,000 passengers in a single day as services slowly resumed.
The airline says it expects to return to 100% of its route network within the coming days, although this remains dependent on the continued availability of safe flight paths across the region.
Operationally, the recovery involves several complex steps: Re-positioning aircraft that were stranded outside Dubai, rebuilding crew rosters after multiple disrupted rotations, clearing passenger backlogs from cancelled services, and restoring hub connectivity waves for onward connections.
Qatar Airways will operate a limited number of flights shortly but only for stranded passengers and they have been advised of their flights. The airline says please do not go to Doha Airport unless you have been advised to do so.
