If you are stranded in the Gulf Region-Middle East (or have friends and relatives stranded), here are your options

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Below is a clear, structured, priority‑ranked list of the best places a stranded passenger in the Gulf region should try to reach in order to get a flight home, based on which airports and countries still have open airspace, functioning hubs, and active long‑haul operations. This ranking reflects the current closures across the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and parts of Oman, as well as the continued operation of airports in Turkey, Egypt, and parts of Saudi Arabia.

1) Türkiye — Istanbul Airport (IST)

Top priority. Istanbul remains the largest fully operational international hub near the Gulf region. Turkish airspace is open, and IST continues to operate long‑haul flights to Europe, North America, and Asia. Even though Turkish Airlines has suspended flights to many Middle Eastern countries, flights out of Istanbul to the rest of the world are still running.

  • Massive global connectivity
  • High flight frequency
  • Multiple airlines (Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, foreign carriers)
  • Easy onward connections once you reach IST

How to get there: From the Gulf, the only challenge is reaching Istanbul, since direct flights from closed airports are suspended. But if you can reach any open airport in Saudi Arabia or Egypt, you can then connect to IST.

2) Saudi Arabia — Jeddah (JED) or Riyadh (RUH)

Saudi airspace is partially open, and both Jeddah and Riyadh continue to operate domestic and many international flights.

  • JED and RUH are functioning normally
  • Saudia and foreign carriers still operate long‑haul flights
  • Saudi Arabia has one of the lowest cancellation rates in the region (≈14%) compared to the UAE (75%), Qatar (82%), Bahrain (97%)

Why this is a strong option: Saudi Arabia is geographically close to the Gulf, reachable by short‑haul flights from airports that are still open (e.g., Muscat, Cairo), and offers onward flights to Europe, Asia, and North America.

3) Egypt — Cairo International Airport (CAI)

Cairo remains fully operational, with EgyptAir and dozens of foreign carriers continuing long‑haul service.

  • Egypt has a relatively low cancellation rate (≈9%)
  • CAI is a major African/European/Asian connecting hub
  • Airspace is open and stable

Why CAI works well: If you can reach Cairo from a secondary Gulf airport (e.g., Muscat or Salalah), you can then connect to Europe or North America easily.

4) Oman — Muscat (MCT)

Oman has partial disruptions, but Muscat remains one of the few Gulf-region airports still operating.

  • Oman’s cancellation rate is lower than Qatar/UAE/Bahrain
  • Oman Air continues long‑haul operations
  • MCT is a safe staging point to reach Cairo, Jeddah, or Istanbul

Why Muscat matters: If you are stranded in the UAE or Qatar and can cross the border by land (where possible), Muscat may be the nearest functioning airport.

5) Jordan — Aqaba (AQJ)

Amman (AMM) is heavily affected, but Aqaba—far south and away from the main conflict corridors—may still have limited operations.

  • Not a major hub, but a possible escape point
  • Could connect to Cairo or Istanbul

This is a secondary fallback, not a primary evacuation route.

6) Cyprus — Larnaca (LCA) or Paphos (PFO)

Cyprus is outside the conflict zone and fully operational.

  • Many European carriers operate normally
  • Good onward connections to Europe and beyond

Challenge: You must first reach Cyprus, which may require flying via Saudi Arabia or Egypt.

7) India — Mumbai (BOM) or Delhi (DEL)

If eastbound routes are open from your location, India is a stable, fully operational aviation market.

  • Massive international connectivity
  • No airspace restrictions
  • Good for onward flights to Europe, Asia, and North America

This is more relevant if you are stranded in Oman or southern Gulf regions.

Where NOT to go (fully closed or non-operational)

These airports are not viable for onward travel right now:

  • Dubai (DXB, DWC) — fully closed until further notice
  • Abu Dhabi (AUH) — suspended operations
  • Doha (DOH) — airspace closed
  • Bahrain (BAH) — near‑total shutdown
  • Kuwait (KWI) — airspace restrictions
  • Tel Aviv (TLV) — closed
  • Iraq & Iran airports — closed or unsafe

Priority Ranking (Final List)

  1. Istanbul (IST), Türkiye — best global connectivity
  2. Jeddah (JED) / Riyadh (RUH), Saudi Arabia — closest major open hubs
  3. Cairo (CAI), Egypt — stable, high‑capacity hub
  4. Muscat (MCT), Oman — nearest functioning Gulf airport
  5. Aqaba (AQJ), Jordan — limited but possible
  6. Larnaca (LCA), Cyprus — safe European gateway
  7. Mumbai/Delhi, India — strong fallback if eastbound routes are open

The latest data from Cirium on cancelled flights:

TODAY CANCELLATIONS BY ARRIVAL COUNTRY MARCH 2

Arrival CountryFlights ScheduledCancelledCancel %
Saudi Arabia1,167          163 13.97%
United Arab Emirates1,026          774 75.44%
Egypt474           45 9.49%
Iran326           20 6.13%
Qatar322          263 81.68%
Israel171          138 80.70%
Oman106           24 22.64%
Jordan97           46 47.42%
Bahrain90           87 96.67%
Grand Total3,779       1,560 41.28%
  • We note that the airspace is closed in many countries of the Middle East, and so the cancellation rate should be 100% (for the UAE for example). However, some typically smaller airlines have not updated their schedules to officially cancel flights, or have simply not flown the flights.
  • For outbound and inbound arrivals and departures, roughly double the number of flights scheduled/cancelled. Aircraft typically/generally return to their home base every 24 hours.
  • There are around 900,000 seats per day scheduled to fly to the Middle East from points abroad, and within the Middle East. 

CANCELLATIONS BY MAJOR GLOBAL AIRLINES TO CERTAIN ARRIVAL COUNTRIES MARCH 2

AirlineArrival CountryFlights ScheduledCanceled
(TK) Turkish AirlinesBahrain1                   1 
Egypt7                 –   
Iran2                   2 
Jordan4                   4 
Oman1                 –   
Qatar1                   1 
Saudi Arabia14                   1 
Turkiye641                 31 
United Arab Emirates5                   5 
(SV) SaudiaEgypt18                 –   
Jordan4                   2 
Qatar1                   1 
Saudi Arabia380                   8 
Turkiye2                 –   
United Arab Emirates13                   5 
(QR) Qatar AirwaysBahrain2                   2 
Egypt3                   3 
Iran1                   1 
Jordan3                   3 
Oman3                   3 
Qatar247               216 
Saudi Arabia19                 19 
Turkiye2                   2 
United Arab Emirates11                 11 
(EK) EmiratesBahrain3                   3 
Egypt5                   5 
Iran1                   1 
Jordan2                   2 
Oman1                   1 
Saudi Arabia10                 10 
Turkiye3                   3 
United Arab Emirates236               227 
(FZ) FlydubaiBahrain3                   3 
Egypt3                   3 
Iran8                   8 
Israel10                 10 
Jordan1                   1 
Oman5                   5 
Qatar6                   6 
Saudi Arabia22                 22 
Turkiye3                   3 
United Arab Emirates168               168 
(EY) Etihad AirwaysBahrain3                   3 
Egypt2                   1 
Israel5                   5 
Jordan1                   1 
Oman3                   2 
Qatar4                   4 
Saudi Arabia14                 11 
Turkiye1                   1 
United Arab Emirates160               143 
(FAD) FlyadealEgypt8                 –   
Saudi Arabia180                   1 
Turkiye2                 –   
United Arab Emirates2                 –   
(G9) Air ArabiaBahrain4                   3 
Egypt4                   4 
Iran1                 –   
Jordan2                   2 
Oman2                   2 
Qatar7                   5 
Saudi Arabia15                 15 
Turkiye2                   2 
United Arab Emirates122                 45 
(6E) IndiGoBahrain1                   1 
Oman3                   1 
Qatar8                   4 
Saudi Arabia15                   4 
Turkiye2                   1 
United Arab Emirates39                 17 
(LY) El AlIsrael60                 52 
United Arab Emirates2                   2 
(AI) Air IndiaQatar3                   3 
Saudi Arabia4                   4 
United Arab Emirates11                 11 
(BA) British AirwaysBahrain1                   1 
Egypt3                 –   
Israel1                   1 
Jordan1                   1 
Qatar2                   2 
Saudi Arabia1                 –   
Turkiye3                 –   
United Arab Emirates4                   4 
(W6) Wizz AirEgypt1                 –   
Israel8                   7 
Turkiye1                 –   
United Arab Emirates3                   3 
(LH) LufthansaEgypt2                 –   
Israel4                   4 
Saudi Arabia3                   3 
Turkiye2                 –   
(KL) KLMIsrael1                   1 
Saudi Arabia2                   2 

The latest airline news:

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About Bruce Drum

I have started the ultimate digital photo library of the fascinating world of airliners and airlines. The goal is to have the complete history of all airlines and the various aircraft operated. I have been photographing airplanes since 1965. Join us in this adventure.

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