Iran war squeezes air cargo capacity as carriers reroute through Saudi Arabia, Oman

In the second week of the war in the Middle East, capacity remains limited to and from the region, but has not tightened further, and airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman are emerging as key hubs served by road feeder services. Qatar Airways operations remain suspended [caption id="attachment_57295832" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Many companies have pivoted to Muscat in Oman. (Courtesy/Oman Airports)[/caption] One of the hardest hit among the region’s carriers is Qatar Airways, whose scheduled flight operations remain mostly suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. “Qatar Airways Cargo will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe, full reopening of Qatari airspace by the relevant authorities,” the airline said March 9. “We continue to operate some limited freighters that are not routed through Doha.” Meanwhile, Emirates said it “continues to operate a reduced but stable flight schedule, maintaining cargo connectivity across key destinations through a combination of passenger and dedicated freighter services.” In a March 9 service update, Emirates listed more than twenty freighter routes it was operating. Cathay Pacific cancels Dubai, Riyadh freighters Volatility in the Persian Gulf led Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific to announce today the cancellation of its freighter flights to Dubai and Riyadh, as well as its daily passenger flights to the same destinations, through March 31, in order “to provide both our passengers and cargo customers with greater certainty for their planning.” DHL Global Forwarding said March 9 that airfreight capacity is steadily improving as regional and international carriers add flights, restoring uplift into key Gulf hubs, though schedules remain fluid. The company has activated business continuity and contingency plans, including alternative routing and multimodal solutions using alternative gateways. The focus is on Oman and Saudi Arabia for movements into and out of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, a spokesperson told Cargo Facts . This has been made possible by an easing of transit and trucking rules prioritizing food, pharmaceuticals and perishables. “Due to the continuously evolving situation, we cannot comment on specific capacity allocations or transport volume,” the DHL spokesperson said. “Our focus remains on maintaining supply chain continuity while ensuring the safety of our employees and customers’ cargo.” Charter demand, rates increase There has been an increase in demand both into and out of the Gulf region in the air cargo charter market, Dan Morgan-Evans, global cargo director at broker Air Charter Service, told Cargo Facts . “We have also seen a lot of charters picked up from carriers that were no longer able to operate flights due to the crisis,” he said. “The biggest issue we are facing is rising fuel costs and rising charter rates.” Asia-linked routes face pressure Disruption to air cargo services in the Middle East is creating pressure points on Asia-linked routes, market research consultancy Transport Intelligence noted in its recent Q1 2026 Air Freight Tracker report. “The most acute constraints are expected on Far East-Europe trade lanes, where any detours or hub disruption can quickly ripple through connectivity. Asia-Middle East corridors will also be affected, where capacity is especially sensitive to service changes and routing restrictions.” For shippers, that typically translates into longer lead times and tighter booking windows, particularly for time-definite or temperature-controlled products. The report also highlights that airlines are introducing or reviewing war-risk surcharges for cargo moving through, near or around affected regions. These charges may apply not only to Middle East routes but also to shipments rerouted over longer paths as carriers adjust their networks. “The result is a market where rate indications may change quickly based on space availability and equipment positioning, as well the speed at which backlogs build or clear,” Transport Intelligence said. Cargo Facts will present four invaluable events for airfreight professionals in 2026, the next of which is <a class="Hyperlink SCXW113043295 BCX0" 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="noreferrer noopener"> Cargo Facts Asia on March 23-25. To see the agendas and register for the events, visit CargoFactsEvents.com .

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