"Before the crisis, the three big Gulf hubs Dubai, home of Emirates, Abu Dhabi for Etihad and Qatar Airways' Doha base had established themselves as the crossroads of global aviation, with networks that link Asia, Africa, Europe and reaching out to the Americas and Oceania. Nearly 300,000 people pass through one of the three hubs every day and about two-thirds are heading straight through on a connecting flight."
"The closure of Russian and Ukrainian airspace to European carriers after the invasion of Ukraine has pushed eastbound traffic south into a small, uncertain corridor. For passengers on many routes, a Gulf connection had become the cheapest, quickest and possibly the nicest way to fly."
"Emirates plans to return to 11 daily flights to five British airports by Saturday, and will operate to 60% of its full network, 83 destinations in all, including seven US airports and a total of 22 daily flights to India."
Following a week of airspace closures triggered by US-Israeli military action against Iran, Emirates resumed operations, restarting 11 daily flights to five British airports and operating to 83 destinations globally, including seven US airports and 22 daily flights to India. The Gulf-based carrier operates at 60% capacity. The crisis highlighted the critical role of three major Gulf aviation hubs—Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha—which serve as global aviation crossroads, processing nearly 300,000 passengers daily with two-thirds connecting onward. These hubs became essential after Russian and Ukrainian airspace closures redirected European traffic southward. The temporary shutdown disrupted global connectivity, stranding passengers across multiple continents and raising questions about aviation's vulnerability to regional conflicts.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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