Commercial flights operated by Iraqi Airways between Iranian airports and Najaf resumed on September 28, 2026. Operations had been halted after foreign ground-handling companies refused aircraft servicing over concerns regarding U.S. sanctions. The resumption follows intervention by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi after protests at Najaf International Airport.
Investigations into an incident aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv concluded that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act, according to UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi. The co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe inside the cockpit before crew members intervened. The aircraft diverted safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel.
International flight services resumed at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on October 8, 2026, following suspensions caused by regional military hostilities. The first arriving commercial service was an Iraqi Airways flight from Najaf.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has heightened risk advisories for US carriers operating in or over Saudi Arabian airspace due to navigation interference and military activity. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office notes ongoing unpredictability across the Middle East, while maintaining that commercial flights between the UK and the UAE continue. Flight delays and carrier suspensions remain present across Dubai and Abu Dhabi routes.
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