Gulf airspace closures throw airfreight sector into turmoil

Extensive airspace closures in the Persian Gulf in response to military attacks by the U.S. and Israel-Iran war has left the air freight sector in turmoil. Airports in the region, which are major transshipment hubs for air cargo, were closed for a third consecutive day today. They include: Dubai (DXB and DWC); Abu Dhabi (AUH); Bahrain (BAH); and Kuwait (KWI). [caption id="attachment_57295674" align="aligncenter" width="1638"] Dubai is one of the busiest airports in the world. (Courtesy/Dubai Airports)[/caption] However, Emirates and Etihad Airways are planning to resume limited operations today, according to statements from the carriers. Capacity on the Asia-Middle East-Europe lane, offered by both freighters and widebody passenger aircraft, fell 26% in terms of available cargo tonne km from Feb. 28 to March 1 compared with the prior week, according to data produced by Aevean, a Netherlands-based consultancy specializing in aviation and logistics. Concurrently, direct Asia-Europe cargo capacity rose 13% to 14%, an indication of airlines rerouting aircraft and circumventing the Middle East region. Lufthansa suspends flights Due to the current security situation, Lufthansa Cargo and the Lufthansa Group told Cargo Facts that it has suspended flights to and from DXB and AUH until March 4. In addition, flights have been temporarily suspended until March 8 to the following destinations: Tel Aviv (TLV); Beirut (BEY); Amman (AMM); Erbil (EBL); Dammam (DMM); and Tehran (IKA). “Lufthansa Cargo is constantly adapting flight routes to the respective security situation and is using available southern or alternative routes to maintain global supply chains to the fullest extent,” Lufthansa said. “It is not yet possible to reliably quantify the freight volumes currently affected, as flight schedules and security assessments are being continuously adjusted. The safety of crews, passengers and cargo is our top priority.” Under normal circumstances, Lufthansa Cargo serves the Middle East region with its own freighter connections as well as via the Lufthansa Group's belly capacities. Air France KLM Martinair closes cargo bookings Another major European carrier, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, told Cargo Facts today that, following flight cancellations, it temporarily closed all cargo bookings until further notice to and from: DXB; Riyadh (RUH); DMM; BEY; and TLV. “We are closely monitoring developments and will adjust our position as the situation evolves,” a carrier spokesperson said. The airline has requested customers not deliver cargo to its warehouses at the affected destinations. Any cargo that has already been delivered, especially perishables and pharmaceuticals, is likely to be returned to customers in close coordination with them. “At this stage, we do not have any freighter aircraft blocked in the region and, for the time being, our Far East network services are operating as planned. We continue to assess routing and operational considerations on a daily basis to ensure safety and continuity, while minimizing disruption where possible,” the Air France KLM Martinair Cargo spokesperson said. Shipment backlog As for the freight forwarders, Denmark’s Scan Global Logistics noted in a service alert issued March 1 that Persian Gulf region airspace restrictions and airline network suspensions had already created major shipment backlogs. “We expect this backlog to build further in the coming days, with many airlines having imposed a full booking stop until further notice. Consequently, we also expect that backlogs will take weeks to clear once the airspace reopens.” Cargo Facts will present four invaluable events for airfreight professionals in 2026, the next of which is <a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://cargofactsevents.com/asia/?utm_campaign=22235567-CF%20Asia%202026&utm_source=Editorial&utm_medium=article%20event%20footer&utm_term=CF%20website&utm_content=Learn%20More&utm_source=Weekly+Update+-+Cargo+Facts&utm_campaign=fbe548904b-CF+Update_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_621baa6827-fbe548904b-40083601&mc_cid=fbe548904b&mc_eid=adbe8bb0b4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cargo Facts Asia on March 23-25. To see the agendas and register for the events, visit CargoFactsEvents.com .

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