Bottom view of a plane flying over a container yard.

Current service status

Latest information on transport and logistics operations

Published on 2 March 2026 / Last edited on 7 July l 2026, 09:00hr, CET

Recent developments in the Middle East have resulted in a more volatile security environment across parts of the region, leading several governments and authorities to introduce precautionary measures affecting selected air and sea routes. In response, Kuehne+Nagel is closely monitoring the situation and assessing potential implications for our operations, with safety and service continuity as key priorities.

The wellbeing of our people remains paramount, and all teams are currently safe, fully contactable, and operational. At the same time, we continue to work closely with our partners to support customers, maintain service continuity, and minimise any potential impact on shipments. Where shipments may be affected, customers will be contacted directly with updates and to agree on the most appropriate next steps.

Latest updates

Air Logistics – what is affected

Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE airspace are open though some restrictions may apply.

  • Air France (AF), KLM (KL) and Martin Air (MP) have suspended the following flights:

    • Air France has suspended flights to Beirut (BEY) until July 9, Dubai (DXB) until July 7 and Tel Aviv (TLV) until July 2

    • KLM has suspended flights to Dubai (DXB), Riyadh (RUH) and Dammam (DMM) until August

    • Martinair has suspended flights to Dubai (DWC)

  • Atlas Air (5Y) has suspended flights to the Middle East until further notice.

  • British Airways (BA), Iberia (IB) and Air Lingus (EI) have suspended some of their flights to the region.

    • Flights between London and Doha are suspended until end of July 2026

    • Flights between London and Riyadh are suspended until September 2026

    • Flights between London and Amman, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai and Tel Aviv are suspended until October 2026

    • Flights between Madrid and Doha are suspended until end of June 2026

    • Flights between London and Larnaca are operating on a reduced schedule

    • Flights between London and Jeddah are suspended

  • Cargolux (CV) will resume flights to Dubai (DWC) effective July 13. Service to Amman, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait, and Riyad will be reinstated at a later stage.

  • Delta (DL) has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv (TLV) until further notice.

  • Emirates Airline (EK) has resumed passenger and freighter operations, with services stabilizing across the network and cargo flows operating smoothly.

    Transit cargo via Dubai (DXB/DWC) will be accepted where onward connections are confirmed and operational.

    The updated list of passenger and freighter destinations for the month of April is available through the links below.
    Freighter Destinations 
    Passenger Destinations 

  • EL Al (LY) and Sundor (2U) have resumed normal operations.

  • Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has suspended all flights to and from Amman, Tel Aviv, Dammam, and Beirut.

  • Etihad (EY) is currently operating between Abu Dhabi and around 80 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Freighter fleet is fully utilized.

  • Kuwait Airlines (KU) has resumed normal operations.

  • Lufthansa (LH), Swiss (LX) and Austrian (OS) flight schedule to and from Tel Aviv will be further expanded in the coming weeks.

    • Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo had already resumed flights to Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in June 2026

    • The other airlines in the Lufthansa Group are also planning to gradually resume flights to Israel for operational reasons. Further expansions will take place in August

    • Passenger flights to/from Amman (AMM), Beirut (BEY), Dammam (DAM), Erbil (EBL), Muscat (MCT) and Riyadh (RUH) are suspended until further notice

    • Lufthansa Cargo is operating three flights a week between Frankfurt and Tel Avix. DXB will be relaunched as of July 11. Beirut (BEY) will remain suspended until further notice

  • Qatar Airways (QR) is operating at increasing capacity with freighter services set to reach over 50 destinations. In parallel, the airline’s passenger and belly-hold network continues on a strong growth trajectory with currently over 150 destinations.
    Freighter Network

    Belly Hold Network

  • Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV) resumed flights to and from Amman (AMM), Dubai (DXB), Abu Dhabi (AUH). Some flight routes may be altered to avoid areas of tension, resulting in minor adjustments to scheduled arrival times at some destinations.

  • Silkway (7L) will retain cargo at their terminal hub in Baku, Azerbaijan, for destinations affected by airspace closures. Destinations impacted include all Iraqi airports, Tel Aviv (TLV), Kuwait (KWI), Dammam (DMM), and Dubai (DWC). They will resume cargo movement to final destinations when routing restrictions are lifted.  

  • Singapore Airlines (SQ) has suspended all flights to and from Dubai (DXB) until August 2.

  • Turkish Airlines (TK) has suspended all flights to Kuwait, Bahrain and Dammam, until further notice. All other destinations are operational again.

  • Virgin Atlantic (VS) has cancelled flights to Dubai until further notice. The airline will temporarily alter its flight path to avoid Iraqi Airspace. 

  • United Airlines (UA) has cancelled all departures to and from Tel Aviv (TLV) and Dubai (DXB) until further notice.

Sea Logistics – what is affected

  • UAE: All ports operating

  • Qatar: Doha port is operating

  • Saud Arabia: All ports operating

  • Bahrain: Port is operating

  • Kuwait: All ports operating

  • Iraq: Umm Qasr port is operating

  • Oman: All ports are operating

  • Jordan: Aqaba port is operating as usual

Please note that the above is subject to change.

Transit remains selective and permission‑based rather than fully open; traffic continues to operate well below pre‑conflict levels, with tightly controlled crossings and restrictions on maritime movements in and out of the Strait.

Major carriers have halted passage through the Bab el Mandeb Strait, forcing rerouting and significantly prolonging voyages. South bound red sea is continuing with most carriers to the port of Jeddah, Aqaba, and King Abdullah port.

  • UAE:

    • Khor Fakkan: Significant congestion on both landside and seaside, resulting in an estimated delay of approximately 7–10 days due to berthing queues and slower onward connections to Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, or Sharjah.

    • We are also observing multiple cut‑and‑run calls by carriers, which may lead to split arrivals at the port of discharge.

    • Fujairah: Heavy congestion on both landside and seaside, with delays of approximately 5–8 days caused by berthing delays and slower onward connections to Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, or Sharjah.

  • Oman:

    • Sohar: Minor congestion noted. Landside capacity continues to operate normally, though increased corridor usage may create additional pressure.

    • Salalah: Minor congestion observed. Landside operations remain stable,

    • Both ports are facing the limited availability of gen-sets for refrigerated cargo.

  • Saudi Arabia:

    • Jeddah: Slight congestion on the quay side. Customs processing for transit cargo is experiencing delays due to increased demand, resulting in dwell times of 5–10 days within the port.

    • King Abdullah Port: Operations remain stable. However, truck availability is reduced due to higher demand in Jeddah.

    • Both ports are facing the limited availability of gen-sets for refrigerated cargo.

  • Jordan:

    • Operations are generally stable. Some congestion at the Jordan–Iraq border is causing an additional 1–2 days of transit time.

Surcharges & Cost Implications

Due to the rapidly evolving situation, carriers may apply additional surcharges, including, but not limited to:

War Risk Surcharge

In response to elevated regional security risks, carriers and insurers may implement or adjust war risk premiums to cargo in transit as well as to current and new bookings.

Emergency Surcharge (ES)

At least one major carrier has already announced Emergency Conflict Surcharge, with others likely to follow depending on operational impacts.

Bunker Charge (BUC)

Due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the suspension of transits through the Bab Al Mandab Strait, many vessels are rerouting via significantly longer pathways such as the Cape of Good Hope. The expected sharp increases of oil prices will lead to significant increase of global bunker prices and carriers are expected to pass on extra costs related to this.

Road Logistics – what is affected

  • All land borders across the region remain open, and cross-border trucking within the GCC continues to operate normally

  • Increased inspection protocols and congestion at certain borders may lead to extended transit times on specific corridors (overview below)

  • Operations at Jebel Ali Port remain unstable, and local UAE deliveries may experience delays.

UAE

  • Sila Entry: There is no congestion in between Batha exit to Sila entry.

  • Sila Exit: There is no congestion in Sila exit (on normal line), and there is no congestion on AEO line.

Saudi Arabia

  • Batha Entry: No congestion

  • Batha Exit: No congestion

Qatar

  • Abu Samra Entry: No congestion

  • Salwa Exit: No congestion

Kuwait

  • Nuwaiseeb Entry: Congestion

  • Al Khafji Exit: No congestion

Bahrain

  • Causeway Bridge (Entry & Exit): No congestion

Jordan

  • Al Omari: No congestion

  • Al Haditha: No congestion

Oman

  • Wajaja Entry: No congestion

  • Hatta Exit: No congestion

Rates are affected by war‑risk surcharges and higher operational costs on certain lanes due to elevated risks and capacity constraints.