Middle East Airspace Diversions/Cancellations

[TheRealTMA]

To be fair, disussion on these diversions on AFF is generally more balanced that one might find elsewhere, such as ABC, Sky, X or bookface.

Sometimes.

 

[Aeryn]

If the media is to be believed it does beg the question of why is an A380 flying at under half capacity when so many are stranded?

Because many will feel safer sheltering in place at this time than flying and risking friendly/unfriendly fire.

 

[TheRealTMA]

If the media is to be believed it does beg the question of why is an A380 flying at under half capacity when so many are stranded?

Is it though? Or is it that the media is reporting the number of australian citizens on the plane, (200), not the actual load?

 

[VPS]

I am just suck in the UK, Y flights I have been quoted up to 26k. I am now doing the family hop around the UK staying with family for a day or two and then moving on. Hopefully I will get back to AU next week.

is TI covering any of it?

 

[VPS]

And more sensationalist rubbish - they live in Dubai!!

 

[AuSammy]

Is it though? Or is it that the media is reporting the number of australian citizens on the plane, (200), not the actual load?

The AU foreign minister mentioned in press conference earlier today there were still spare seats on planes ex UAE if people wanted them.

 

[RSD]

So a bunch more info has emerged about that US F15 that was shot down by friendly fire near Kuwait.

It was actually 3 F15's that were downed.

All 3 were shot down by a Kuwaiti F18, who likely mistook them for Iranian Mig29's, which have a similar outline.

https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/kuwaiti-jet-fighter-mistakenly-downed-u-s-f-15s-initial-reports-say-4ab64e56

I can only imagine the discussion with his superiors when he got back to base. Old mate just destroyed $200M worth of allied aircraft.
View attachment 499560

In terms of risk to civilian air traffic this is probably "good" news. It would have been worse if it was a case of a long range SAMs hitting things in the air, far beyond visual range. (eg: USS Vincennes type incident)

It's also at the opposite end of the gulf, about 800km away from the UAE airports.

Obviously not good, but not as bad a scenario as it could have been

If he gets two more does that make him an Ace?

 

[drron]

Call BS on this. Typical ABC reporting. There will be no-one in Iran with ultimate authority to guarantee this.

It is reported by several sources now that these flights are for a specific route but also with a cap on the number of passengers. So explains why only about 2000 pax on an EK 380.

 

[jase05]

about 2000 pax on an EK 380.

Gives a new meaning to “cattle class”

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It is reported by several sources now that these flights are for a specific route but also with a cap on the number of passengers. So explains why only about 2000 pax on an EK 380.

Seen the cap of 48 flights per hour widely reported… have you got a link to the restriction on the number of pax?

 

[justinbrett]

It appears it is better to be a Kiwi and stranded in the Middle East than an Aussie

Australia has a permanent air base in Dubai

 

[drron]

Seen the cap of 48 flights per hour widely reported… have you got a link to the restriction on the number of pax?

No. When lying in a hospital bed you tend not to get too far into details but I think the first was Scrooge Turner on X.

 

[Saab34]

The issue with Qatar seems to be the al-Udeid Air Base which is probably the biggest US target in the region. Iran has made a few attempts to bomb it today.

Will need Qatar to talk Iran out of those ambitions.

 

[moa999]

Buried in an AFR article about Qatar cancelling all events and disinviting F1 attendees (they are the major sponsor for the Melbourne event)

An extremely narrow flight path that avoids Iran has been negotiated to allow a small number of flights to leave Dubai and Abu Dhabi; the first Australians stuck in Dubai touched down in Sydney on Thursday.

However, Hamad International Airport in Doha remains closed because the direction of its runways means planes cannot avoid flying in the direction of Iran. A nearby US airbase has also complicated the equation for Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority.

 

[dajop]

It appears it is better to be a Kiwi and stranded in the Middle East than an Aussie

Well I guess the NZ PM would appreciate difficulties commercial aviation is facing better than many other PMs around the world.

Or perhaps more likely, the number of NZ'ers stranded there an order of magnitude smaller.

 

[justinbrett]

The issue with Qatar seems to be the al-Udeid Air Base which is probably the biggest US target in the region. Iran has made a few attempts to bomb it today.

Will need Qatar to talk Iran out of those ambitions.

And the full story about the “backchannel” deal between the UAE and Iran is that, allegedly, the UAE has promised to suspend offensive operations against Iran for 48 hours in return for Iran not attacking its civil aviation infrastructure or these repatriation flights.

Sounds believable to me, but indicates this is a small window to get people out before it will close down again.

 

[Saab34]

Iran’s relations with its neighbours seems to somewhat complex, it’s hard to see where this now sits with Iran launching missiles into most neighbours.

Qatar have said they have not been getting comms from Tehran before any of these attacks which is apparently at odds with prior communications it has had with them.

This will make the coming period tough for Qatar it seems. Needless to say, the ME3 are going to burn a lot of cash in the near period, we are a little way off anyone going back to full ops I think. Riyadh Air might put the brakes on any passenger launch for the time being.

 

[AuSammy]

Gulfnews.com

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced the resumption of limited flights at UAE airports to help stranded passengers affected by recent regional developments depart safely. Air operations currently run at 48 flights per hour through designated emergency corridors. Since 1 March 2026, 17,498 passengers have been transported on 60 national carrier flights, with the next phase set to operate 80 daily flights, carrying over 27,000 passengers.

 

[Brissy1]

UAE has promised to suspend offensive operations against Iran

I'm not aware that the UAE, or any arab state, is undertaking any offensive operations against Iran. So I don't know what Iran wants or could get from UAE

 

[LionKing]

Qatar Airways is temporary shifting operations from Doha to Muscat and Riyadh to ferry passengers away from the Middle East.