Middle Eastern airlines ‘rebound to almost 75% capacity’

• Carriers bounce back from Iran war
• CEOs expect swift recovery
• Fuel price a burden, says Iata

Middle Eastern airlines have recovered almost 75 percent of their operational capacity despite being the hardest hit during the Iran war, a senior International Air Transport Association (Iata) official has said.

Airlines in the region were the most affected because of the region’s heavy reliance on transit and connecting flights, which were both hit by the conflict, Nick Careen, senior vice president for operations, safety and security at Iata, told Al Arabiya, an Arabic news channel.

The airspace across the Gulf countries was shut following the US-Israeli strike on Iran which began on February 28. Regional airlines have resumed operations after a temporary ceasefire was announced in April.

Most regional airline CEOs expect a swift recovery, with some of the carriers exceeding 75 percent already, Careen said.

The aviation industry constantly faces new challenges and crises, he said, adding that stability and price predictability remained the crucial factors for the sector’s growth.

The Iata official said refining margins – the difference between the cost of raw crude oil and the market value of jet fuel – have reached record levels, nearing $200.

Many airlines built their operational plans on oil price estimates of $70 to $75 per barrel, making the current fuel price surge a huge burden for them, he said.

Careen said ticket price increases are inevitable, especially if current conditions persist and are unlikely to return to normal before late spring of next year.

Further reading:

• International airlines avoid Middle East over Iran war
• Rising air fares are ‘oil-related, not opportunism’
• Millions of Middle East airline seats cancelled since start of war

Qatar Airways on Wednesday reported post-tax profit of QAR7.1 billion ($1.9 billion) for 2025-26, down about 9 percent from a record QAR7.8 billion in the previous year.

Rival Gulf carrier Emirates Airline earlier this month posted record annual results, with profit before tax up 7 percent to AED22.8 billion ($6.2 billion) in the year to March 31.