Flights to Dubai remain under review as Dutch carrier KLM begins cautiously restoring parts of its Middle East operations following recent regional tensions.

While the airline has confirmed the resumption of services to Riyadh and Dammam from January 27, routes to Dubai and Tel Aviv are still being assessed as airlines continue to monitor airspace safety and evolving geopolitical developments.

After several days of uncertainty amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, KLM has begun cautiously restoring parts of its flight operations following a fresh safety assessment.

The Dutch airline announced that regular flights to Riyadh and Dammam will resume from Tuesday, January 27. However, services to Dubai and Tel Aviv remain under review as the regional situation continues to evolve.

KLM confirmed that all passengers affected by recent cancellations have now been rebooked, while those who no longer wish to travel have been offered full refunds, providing flexibility amid ongoing concerns.

Background to the suspensions

On January 24, KLM temporarily suspended flights to several destinations in the Middle East as a precaution. The airline also avoided flying through the airspace of Iran, Iraq, Israel and parts of the Gulf region, citing safety considerations. As a result, flights to Dubai, Riyadh, Dammam and Tel Aviv were halted.

Due to the scale of disruptions across the aviation sector at the time, KLM chose not to rebook passengers immediately on January 24 and 25, instead opting to wait until conditions stabilised. Affected travellers were offered travel vouchers or full refunds.

The airline said it continues to closely monitor developments in the region, with passenger safety remaining its top priority.

Wider airline response

Earlier this month, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) advised airlines to avoid Iranian airspace, triggering a wave of precautionary measures across the aviation industry.

Several international carriers have since announced adjustments:

• Air France briefly suspended flights to Dubai before resuming services, while continuing to monitor the situation.
• Lufthansa is bypassing Iranian and Iraqi airspace and temporarily limiting flights to Tel Aviv and Amman to daytime-only operations.
• British Airways suspended flights to Bahrain earlier this month before restoring services.
• Finnair has rerouted flights to Doha and Dubai via Saudi Arabia, avoiding Iraqi airspace.
• Wizz Air is avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace, resulting in some flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi making technical stops in Cyprus or Greece.

Airlines have stressed that all changes are precautionary and subject to ongoing review, advising passengers to regularly check flight status as the situation develops.