Severe airspace restrictions across the Middle East have resulted in over 19,000 flight cancellations between 28 February and 6 March, marking one of the most significant aviation disruptions the region has experienced in recent years. The shutdown has affected operations at Dubai (DXB), Doha (DOH), Abu Dhabi (AUH), Sharjah (SHJ), Kuwait (KWI), Bahrain (BAH), and Dubai World Central (DWC), all of which serve as major transit hubs for global travel. The cancellations follow th

Emirates has introduced a reduced flight schedule following the partial reopening of regional airspace, restoring more than 100 flights across March 5th and 6th while continuing to prioritize safety and operational stability. Maldives is included in the airline’s updated list of destinations now receiving limited service, appearing in the fifth and sixth groupings of the operating network.  MaltaToday The airline confirms that it will operate a restricted schedule until furth

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has once again demonstrated how vulnerable the Maldives is to external geopolitical disruptions. In recent days, major Gulf carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways have suspended operations due to regional instability. The immediate impact on the Maldives has been severe. Within just the first three days of these operational disruptions, tourist arrivals dropped by 41 percent. For a nation whose economy is overwhe

Qatar Airways has extended the suspension of all scheduled flights until 6 March, following the continued closure of Qatari airspace amid heightened regional tensions. The airline confirmed that it cannot operate any inbound or outbound services through Doha while the airspace remains restricted under the directive of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA). The suspension has brought all passenger and cargo movements at Hamad International Airport to a standstill, with air

Flight cancellations at Velana International Airport (VIA) are set to continue for a third consecutive day, with 18 inbound flights scheduled for tomorrow now cancelled as the Middle East conflict forces widespread airspace closures across the region. Photo: Dhauru News The disruptions primarily affect major Gulf carriers like Emirates, Qatar Airways, flydubai, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Air Arabia, and etc. The present‑day conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran

beOnd has introduced additional flights between the Maldives and three major European cities, Munich, Zurich and Milan this week, expanding capacity for guests whose travel plans have been affected by recent disruptions. The airline says the move is aimed at ensuring travellers have more options to return home or continue their journeys to the Maldives with minimal inconvenience. The extra flights supplement beOnd’s existing European network, which continues to operate normal

Widespread airspace closures and ongoing conflict in the Middle East have pushed flight cancellations across several major regional hubs like Dubai (DXB), Doha (DOH), Abu Dhabi (AUH), Sharjah (SHJ), Kuwait (KWI), Bahrain (BAH), and Dubai World Central (DWC) to more than 9,500 flights. The scale of disruption means over 1.5 million passengers have now been affected, based on typical load factors for the airlines operating through these airports. The cancellations began escalat

Qatar Airways has announced that its flight operations will remain suspended until 3 March 2026, following the continued closure of Qatari airspace amid the escalating regional conflict. The airline confirmed that it will only resume services once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) declares the airspace safe for civilian operations. The next official review is scheduled for 3 March at 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC), though the airline cautioned that this is a review point

More than 3,400 flights were cancelled on Sunday across seven major Middle Eastern airports  Dubai International (DXB), Hamad International in Doha (DOH), Zayed International in Abu Dhabi (AUH), Sharjah (SHJ), Kuwait (KWI), Bahrain (BAH), and Dubai World Central (DWC) as widespread airspace closures continue in the aftermath of US–Israel strikes on Iran. Flight-tracking data shows that the cancellations stem from the near‑total shutdown of regional airspace, with Iran, Iraq,

Major Gulf carriers have suspended all operations as unprecedented airspace closures sweep across the Middle East, following US-Israel strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory attacks. The shutdown has effectively severed some of the world’s busiest aviation corridors, grounding thousands of passengers across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. Emirates confirmed that all flights to and from Dubai are suspended until 15:00 UAE time on Monday, 2 March, citing “multiple regional airsp

Twelve inbound flights scheduled to arrive at Velana International Airport (VIA) on Sunday have been cancelled following a rapid escalation of conflict in the Middle East, which has triggered widespread airspace closures and operational suspensions across several Gulf states. The cancellations cover major Gulf and regional hubs, with twelve inbound services removed from Sunday’s schedule. The affected flights include two Etihad Airways services from Abu Dhabi, one Gulf Air fl

Two private jet operations departing from Male’ were forced to return to Velana International Airport (VIA) today after widespread Middle East airspace closures disrupted their planned routes toward Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. The disruptions follow escalating regional tensions triggered by Israeli strikes, which led several Gulf states to suspend flights and restrict airspace. A VistaJet private jet operating a charter service from Male’ to Košice, Slovakia, initia

A Flydubai flight FZ1026 operating flight from Male’ to Dubai is currently returning to the Maldives after a sudden wave of airspace closures across the Gulf region made entry into the UAE impossible. The aircraft, which departed Male’ earlier today, initiated a turn‑back while en route when multiple Gulf states suspended flights and restricted airspace in response to escalating regional military activity. Iran, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain enacted immediate airspace restri

Israel launched what it described as a pre‑emptive strike on Iran, prompting Iran, Israel and Iraq to close their airspace and triggering major disruption across key aviation corridors. Explosions were reported in Tehran and several other Iranian cities following the strikes, with Iranian state media acknowledging multiple blasts. Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation issued a NOTAM closing the entire Iranian airspace until further notice, forcing all overflying traffic to exit

Bullet holes were discovered on the wing of an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 after the aircraft arrived in Miami from Colombia, according to reports. Flight AA923 landed safely at Miami International Airport on Monday following its scheduled service from Bogotá. During a routine post‑flight inspection, maintenance personnel identified puncture marks on the aircraft’s right aileron. American Airlines confirmed the discovery and said the aircraft was taken out of service i

An EL AL flight preparing to depart Los Angeles for Tel Aviv faced an unexpected disruption when ground staff discovered that a large number of checked bags had been covered with stickers shortly before departure. The incident, which occurred on February 16 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), forced the airline to halt loading operations and initiate a full security response. According to airport staff, the discovery was made after the bags had already been placed ins

Airlines operating at Velana International Airport (VIA) say they were not given the advance notice required to prepare for the planned relocation of domestic operations to Terminal 2 today. Sources told Aviators Maldives that airlines did not receive clear timelines, operational details, or the standard preparation period normally provided for a terminal change. The information shared before the move was described as minimal, leaving teams with almost no time to organise sta

Velana International Airport (VIA) is preparing to relocate all domestic flight operations to the refurbished Terminal 2, marking a major operational shift under Maldives Airports Company Limited’s (MACL) ongoing airport development program. The move follows structural upgrades and systems integration work to repurpose the former international terminal for domestic passenger handling. Once the transition is activated, all domestic departures and arrivals will move from the ex

Premium leisure airline beOnd has taken a significant step in its Gulf expansion strategy, signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Bahrain’s Civil Aviation Affairs to explore establishing a Bahrain‑based Air Operator Certificate (AOC). The proposed operation would see up to 10 aircraft based in the Kingdom by 2030, targeting high‑yield leisure and business traffic and positioning Bahrain as a key node between Europe, the Middle East, Asia and, in the longer term, North America.

Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) has achieved a landmark operational milestone, completing the highest single‑day volume of flights and passenger movements in its history. Across the day, TMA successfully served more than 7,000 passengers and executed over 800 take offs and landings, underscoring the airline’s unmatched capacity to deliver seamless connectivity across the Maldives’ dispersed island network. This achievement reflects the strength of TMA’s operational readiness an