Air cargo flights to and from the Middle East are suspended as regional tensions rise, impacting major airlines and cargo services.
Air cargo flights in and out of the Middle East have been halted as regional conflict escalates, reports London's Air Cargo News.
Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad have suspended operations, citing airspace closures. Emirates SkyCargo announced that flights were suspended until 1500 UAE time on March 3, while Etihad halted services to and from Abu Dhabi until 1400 the same day. Oman Air Cargo reported disruptions but continued general cargo services, restricting perishables.
Lufthansa Cargo has suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, and Tehran until March 8. Turkish Cargo cancelled services to multiple Gulf destinations, while IAG Cargo suspended flights between London and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv until March 4, with further suspensions on Madrid routes extending to March 10.
Rotate data showed global air cargo capacity down 18 percent in 24 hours, with Asia-Middle East-Europe corridor capacity falling more than 40 percent week-on-week. Some non-Gulf airports saw capacity gains, including Almaty up 211 percent and Tbilisi up 51 percent. Fuel prices surged as jet fuel flows through the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted.
Ocean carriers also announced suspensions. MSC halted Middle East bookings, CMA CGM ordered ships to shelter and suspended Suez Canal transits, while Maersk rerouted services around the Cape of Good Hope. CMA CGM also suspended reefer bookings to several countries.
