Middle East flight disruptions: Your rights if your flight is canceled

Recent events have caused significant disruption to travel in parts of the Middle East, cancelling flights and affecting passengers traveling to, from, or through the region.

When unexpected airspace closures or safety concerns like these occur, airlines may need to cancel or reroute flights at short notice. While these situations are outside the airline’s control, passengers still have important rights.

Below, we answer some common questions about flight disruptions, airline refunds, rebooking options, and passenger rights.

Passengers travelling to or from the European Union have strong rights under EC 261. But depending on their route, passengers may also be protected by Turkish passenger rights, or Saudi Arabian regulations.

If your flight to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar or elsewhere in the Gulf is canceled, or you're concerned about an upcoming flight, we hope our guide can help.

First things first: contact your airline

If your flight is affected by the current Middle East flight disruptions, the most important step is to contact your airline directly and follow their instructions.

Under EC 261 and similar passenger protections, your airline is responsible for organising rebooking options and providing assistance where applicable.

AirHelp can help explain your rights, but your airline remains your primary point of contact for rebooking and travel arrangements.

Are passengers entitled to compensation for these Middle East flight cancellations?

In most cases, no compensation is owed.

Large-scale airspace disruptions caused by safety or security concerns typically qualify as “extraordinary circumstances” under EC Regulation 261/2004. This means airlines are generally exempt from paying the standard €250–€600 compensation normally awarded for delays or cancellations.

However, passengers still retain other important rights, including refunds, rebooking options, and assistance.

Can the airline only offer me a voucher or partial refund?

No.

Under Article 8 of EC 261, the choice between a refund or rebooked flight belongs to the passenger, not the airline.

If your flight is canceled and covered by EC 261, the airline must offer one of the following options:

• A full refund within 7 days

• Rerouting to your final destination (at the earliest opportunity or at a later date of your choice)

Airlines cannot force passengers to accept a voucher. A voucher is only valid if the passenger explicitly agrees to it in writing.

What if the airline doesn’t respond?

If your airline is difficult to reach or slow to respond:

• Document every attempt to contact them (emails, chat messages, screenshots, or call records).

• Keep records showing that you requested assistance or rebooking.

This documentation can become important if you later need to demonstrate that the airline failed to offer reasonable assistance.

When can passengers book their own replacement flight?

Passengers should first give the airline a reasonable opportunity to arrange rerouting.

However, self-booking may be justified if:

• The airline explicitly refuses to reroute you

• The airline is completely unreachable

• The airline only offers a much later flight while reasonable alternatives are available

If you book your own flight, keep all receipts. Only reasonable and comparable travel costs are typically reimbursed.

Can the replacement flight cost more than the original ticket?

Yes.

If the airline provides the rerouting itself, it must cover the full cost, regardless of the price difference.

If you are forced to book your own flight because the airline fails to provide assistance, the cost of a comparable ticket should still be reimbursed, even if it is higher than your original fare.

Can passengers claim food, drinks, and hotel costs?

In many cases, yes.

Under Article 9 of EC 261, airlines have a duty of care toward passengers during disruptions. This includes providing or reimbursing:

• Meals and refreshments

• Hotel accommodation (if an overnight stay is required)

• Transport between the airport and hotel

Importantly, this duty of care still applies during extraordinary circumstances such as large-scale airspace disruptions.

The Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed this in McDonagh v. Ryanair (C-12/11), ruling that airlines cannot remove care obligations even during major crises.

Which rights apply to my flight?

EC 261 generally applies if:

• Your flight departs from an EU airport, or

• Your flight is operated by an EU airline

If you're travelling with a Gulf carrier such as Emirates, Qatar and Etihad on a flight that doesn't depart from the EU or UK, EC261 will generally not apply.

In those cases, passenger rights are governed by the airline’s conditions of carriage, applicable national aviation laws, and, in some instances, international conventions.

Are there limits on reimbursable expenses?

There is no fixed euro cap under EC 261.

However, expenses must be reasonable and necessary.

Typically reimbursable expenses include:

• Standard or mid-range hotel accommodation

• Basic meals and refreshments

Luxury hotels or expensive dining may be challenged by airlines, so it is best to keep spending reasonable.

Always keep every receipt.

How do passengers claim refunds or expenses?

You'll need to submit claims directly to the airline. Include all your receipts for the expenses you want to claim back.

Under EC 261, a ticket refund must legally be processed within 7 days, although reimbursements for meals, hotels, or other expenses may take several weeks or months, depending on the airline.

What if the flight still shows “on time”?

Be careful.

If a passenger cancels their ticket themselves without an official cancellation from the airline, it may be treated as a voluntary cancellation, which can lead to loss of passenger rights.

Instead:

• Contact the airline in writing immediately

• Request formal confirmation of the flight’s status

• If you receive official cancellation notice, your EC 261 rights remain protected — even if you do not travel to the airport.

If no notice is issued and you go to the airport but the flight does not operate, your passenger rights activate at that moment.

In some cases, airlines may also offer goodwill vouchers or assistance, depending on the circumstances.

Does travel insurance cover flight disruptions caused by airspace closures?

It depends on the specific policy.

In many cases, standard travel insurance policies do not cover disruptions caused by acts of war, military activity, or government-ordered airspace closures. These types of events are commonly listed as exclusions in the policy wording.

Because coverage varies between insurers, passengers should review their policy carefully and pay particular attention to sections covering:

• Trip cancellation and trip interruption

• Force majeure or extraordinary events

• War or conflict exclusions

• Government travel restrictions or airspace closures

Some premium or specialised policies may offer broader coverage, but this is not guaranteed.

If your travel plans are disrupted, the best approach is to contact your insurance provider directly to confirm whether your policy applies and what documentation they require for a claim. As with airline claims, it is also helpful to keep records of cancellations, receipts, and any communication with your airline.

When will flights resume in the Middle East?

As passenger safety is the highest priority to airlines, it is impossible to predict when flights will resume.

We recommend staying in contact with your airline for the latest updates to your flight.

Due to the scale of the cancellations across the Middle East, we can anticipate it will take a while for operations to return to normal, even after flights resume.

Final advice for affected passengers

Airspace disruptions can create uncertainty for travellers, but passengers still have protections under European law.

The key steps to remember:

• Contact your airline first and follow their instructions

• Do not cancel your ticket yourself unless instructed

• Keep all receipts and documentation

• Ensure you understand your refund and rerouting rights

We're tracking the situation, and will post latest information on flight disruptions and cancellations in the UAE, Qatar, and elsewhere in the Middle East on our Flight Delay and Cancellations News page.

Or track your upcoming flight and get the latest flight status updates on our app.