Europe faces flight crisis amid Gulf airspace turmoil
The US-Israeli war involving Iran has significantly disrupted air traffic across major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, exposing Europe’s reliance on Gulf carriers for long-haul connections to Asia.
Widespread flight cancellations—numbering in the tens of thousands—have left millions of passengers stranded, underlining the aviation industry’s dependence on airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith described the situation as a “wake-up call,” noting that around 600 aircraft have been grounded, including 100 operating routes linked to Europe.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr also warned that Europe is losing control over key flight corridors, pointing to an effective disconnection from destinations such as Manila.
In response, European airlines are now working to expand direct routes between Europe and Asia in an effort to reduce reliance on Gulf-based carriers.
News.Az
By Nijat Babayev
