Amid rising tensions in the Middle East following military exchanges between Israel and Iran, Middle East carrier Emirates has announced the resumption of its Dubai-Lagos-Dubai flight operations.
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The airline confirmed that it would operate its services between Dubai and Lagos on Friday, March 6, 2026, after suspending flights last week due to widespread airspace disruptions triggered by the escalating conflict in the region.
Sources familiar with the airline’s operations told newsmen that Emirates is commencing the operations mainly to bring back stranded Nigerians in the UAE to their home country.
Several Middle Eastern carriers had halted operations after multiple countries shut their airspace following coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian targets.
The US President, Donald Trump, described the attacks as a major combat operation, a development that forced global airlines to reroute flights that typically pass through the Middle East corridor.
The disruptions significantly affected long-haul routes connecting Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America, with airlines scrambling to adjust schedules amid safety concerns.
The ongoing conflict has forced airlines worldwide to avoid certain airspace corridors after missiles were launched from Israel toward Iran, followed by retaliatory strikes by Iranian forces.
As a result, airlines have been forced to cancel or reroute numerous services, including flights linking India, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
After initially suspending operations, Emirates said it was closely monitoring developments and maintaining communication with relevant aviation authorities to determine when it would be safe to resume services.
The airline had also advised passengers to regularly check its travel updates and flight status pages before heading to the airport.
However, in a message sent to its trade partners in Nigeria, the Gulf carrier confirmed the return of its Lagos operations. “We will be operating the Dubai–Lagos–Dubai flight (EK783 & EK784) on 6th March 2026,” the airline stated.
Emirates noted that the resumption offers passengers an opportunity to continue their travel plans after days of uncertainty caused by the crisis.
According to the airline, travellers are encouraged to take advantage of the available flights quickly, as demand for seats is expected to surge. “The flight resumption presents a unique opportunity for customers to travel,” the airline said.
It added, “Emirates continues to monitor the situation, and we will develop our operational schedule accordingly. The latest flight updates will be published on our website.”
Emirati airlines resumed some flights to global cities from the war-hit Gulf on Friday, but a Lufthansa jet that was headed to the region diverted over safety fears and an Air France repatriation flight was forced to turn back due to missile fire.
The outbreak of the US-Israel war against Iran has led to flight cancellations across the Middle East, leaving airlines and governments scrambling to support thousands of stranded passengers. Shares in carriers from New Zealand to Japan have slid meanwhile, as the conflict drives up fuel prices.
Passengers have paid huge sums to get out of the Middle East, with last-minute dashes to the airport, overland trips to less impacted hubs and fighter jets at times escorting passenger planes out. Some described it as “absolute chaos”.
With most airspace in the region still closed over missile and drone concerns, some people with deep pockets have turned to private jets while charter flights and limited commercial services struggle to evacuate tens of thousands of travellers.
A Lufthansa flight to Saudi capital Riyadh diverted to Cairo on Friday over safety concerns after a similar move by an Air France flight late on Thursday.
“[It] reflects the instability in the region and the complexity of repatriation operations,” French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said.
Britain’s first repatriation flight from Oman landed at London’s Stansted Airport early on Friday after delays. Similar repatriation flights arrived or were due to arrive back in countries from Poland to Portugal.
With the conflict showing little sign of easing, wider aviation and air cargo disruption looked set to linger.
While major carrier Emirates said on Friday it was targeting “a return to 100 per cent of its network” in the coming days, EU aviation regulator EASA extended a warning about high risks until 11th March.
Lufthansa on Friday flagged an uncertain outlook despite better-than-expected results.
“The war in the Middle East proves once again how exposed air traffic is, and how vulnerable it remains,” its CEO Carsten Spohr said.
The limited operations at Middle Eastern hubs have hit travellers on routes from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region particularly hard.
Combined, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad normally fly about one-third of passengers from Europe to Asia and more than half of all passengers from Europe to Australia, New Zealand and nearby Pacific Islands, according to Cirium data.
As of Thursday, traffic at Dubai’s DXB airport, normally the world’s busiest international travel hub, had almost doubled from Wednesday, but remained only about 25 per cent of normal levels, flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad said on Friday it would resume a limited flight schedule through to 19th March, with flights operating to and from Abu Dhabi and around 70 destinations including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Delhi, New York, Toronto and Tel Aviv.
Dubai-based Emirates said it was operating a reduced flight schedule to 82 destinations including London, Sydney, Singapore and New York, with customers transiting in Dubai only accepted if their connecting flight was operating.
Qatar’s Doha hub remains shut, though it has been arranging a limited number of relief flights from Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Airline flydubai is expected to resume operations and operate flights from United Arab Emirates to Israel starting early next week, it said.
Higher oil prices have sent jet fuel costs soaring, with Singapore jet fuel reaching a record high of $US225 a barrel this week, which traders attributed to concerns about supply shortages from Middle Eastern refiners. Oil prices pulled back slightly on Friday.
“As well as lost revenue, airlines are likely to be affected by higher fuel prices,” Fitch Ratings said.
Fuel hedging varies by airline, but Fitch said most carriers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were about 50 per cent to 80 per cent hedged for the next three months.
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