Aegean Airlines Quietly Cuts Flights to Dubai and Five More Middle East Cities

Greece’s largest airline has quietly pulled the plug on flights to some of the Middle East’s busiest destinations — and if you have travel plans in the region over the next two months, you need to know exactly which routes are affected and when.

Aegean Airlines has confirmed the cancellation of multiple routes connecting Europe to key Middle Eastern cities, citing ongoing geopolitical tensions across the region. The suspensions stretch from mid-April through late May 2026, covering destinations including Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut, Amman, Tel Aviv, Erbil, and Baghdad.

The airline has moved to provide specific cancellation windows for each affected route, a step designed to reduce confusion for passengers who may already have tickets booked. Travellers are being advised to review their itineraries and adjust plans before departure dates arrive.

Why Aegean Airlines Is Pulling Back From the Middle East

The cancellations are part of what the airline describes as a broader restructuring in response to ongoing geopolitical tensions across the Middle East. While the airline has not detailed the specific security assessments behind each decision, the pattern of affected cities tells its own story — nearly every major commercial hub in the region is on the list.

Aegean is Greece’s largest carrier, operating a wide network of European and international routes. Its Middle East connections serve a significant number of travellers, including diaspora communities, business passengers, and tourists moving between Europe and the Gulf, the Levant, and Iraq’s Kurdish region.

The decision to suspend rather than simply reduce frequencies suggests the airline is taking a cautious approach, choosing operational certainty over maintaining a reduced schedule that could be disrupted further by fast-moving regional developments.

The Full Breakdown: Every Cancelled Route and Exact Date

Aegean has confirmed specific cancellation periods for each affected destination. Here is the complete picture of what is suspended and until when:

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The most striking figure here is the Erbil and Baghdad suspension, which extends nearly two months beyond the current date — significantly longer than the other affected routes. That suggests Aegean views conditions in Iraq as considerably more uncertain than those in the Gulf or the Levant in the near term.

Dubai and Riyadh, by contrast, have the shortest suspension window, with services potentially resuming as early as April 19. These routes serve some of the highest-demand markets in the region, which may factor into how quickly the airline seeks to restore them.

What This Means If You Have a Booking

If you hold a ticket on any of the affected routes, the practical consequences are immediate. Flights are not operating — and simply waiting to see what happens is not a strategy that will work here.

Passengers with existing bookings should contact Aegean Airlines directly to understand their options, which typically include rebooking onto later dates, rerouting through alternative connections, or requesting refunds depending on fare conditions. The airline has confirmed it is advising passengers to prepare for these changes and adjust travel plans accordingly.

For travellers whose trips fall within the cancellation windows, a few things are worth considering:

• Dubai and Riyadh travellers have the shortest wait — suspensions end April 19, 2026, meaning late April travel may still be viable if the airline resumes on schedule.
• Beirut, Amman, and Tel Aviv passengers face cancellations through April 23, 2026, leaving a narrow window before the summer travel season begins to pick up.
• Erbil and Baghdad travellers face the longest disruption, with no service confirmed until after May 25, 2026 — nearly two full months of uncertainty.

Those with flexible travel insurance policies may be able to claim costs associated with rebooking or cancellation, depending on how their policy defines regional instability or airline-initiated cancellations.

What Happens When the Suspension Dates Arrive

The cancellation end dates listed by Aegean should not be read as guaranteed restart dates. Airlines operating in unstable regions typically review suspensions on a rolling basis, meaning a route listed as cancelled “until” a certain date may be extended if conditions do not improve.

The April 19 end date for Dubai and Riyadh is the earliest potential restart, and given the commercial importance of those routes, there will be pressure on the airline to restore them promptly. Beirut, Amman, and Tel Aviv follow four days later, with May 25 marking the outer boundary for Iraq services.

Travellers planning to fly to any of these destinations after the stated suspension windows should monitor Aegean’s official communications closely in the weeks leading up to their travel date. Booking flexibility — where available — will be a significant advantage over the coming weeks.

For now, the message from Aegean is clear: the Middle East network is on hold, the timeline is defined but subject to change, and passengers need to act rather than wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Aegean Airlines routes to the Middle East have been cancelled?
Aegean has cancelled flights to Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut, Amman, Tel Aviv, Erbil, and Baghdad, with varying suspension end dates for each destination.

When will Aegean Airlines resume flights to Dubai and Riyadh?
Flights to Dubai and Riyadh are cancelled until 19 April 2026, making that the earliest possible resumption date, though extensions are possible if conditions change.

How long are Erbil and Baghdad flights suspended?
Erbil and Baghdad routes face the longest suspension of all affected destinations, with cancellations confirmed until 25 May 2026.

Why is Aegean Airlines cancelling these Middle East flights?
The airline has cited ongoing geopolitical tensions across the region as the reason for the cancellations, describing the move as part of a broader restructuring of its Middle East network.

What should passengers with existing bookings do?
Aegean is advising affected passengers to prepare for these changes and adjust travel plans accordingly — contacting the airline directly about rebooking or refund options is strongly recommended.

Are Beirut and Amman on the same cancellation timeline as Tel Aviv?
Yes — flights to Beirut, Amman, and Tel Aviv are all cancelled until 23 April 2026 under the current suspension schedule.