Major hubs including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi have faced operational constraints, leaving passengers unable to travel as planned while airlines adjust routes, suspend services and redeploy capacity to other regions.

Carriers across Europe, North America and Asia have suspended flights to destinations such as Tel Aviv, Beirut, Riyadh and Dubai, with some cancellations extending into the summer and autumn travel seasons. Several airlines are also avoiding the airspace of conflict-affected countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel, increasing flight times and operational costs.

Emirates said it is operating a reduced schedule while continuing to serve more than 100 destinations, while Etihad Airways reported maintaining flights from Abu Dhabi to around 80 destinations under adjusted operations.European carriers including Air France and KLM have suspended multiple Middle East routes, while Lufthansa and affiliated airlines extended cancellations to a wide range of destinations until late October.

Low-cost and regional carriers have similarly scaled back operations, citing safety concerns and logistical constraints.In North America, Delta Air Lines has delayed the resumption of key routes to Tel Aviv, and Air Canada has extended cancellations to both Tel Aviv and Dubai through early September.

Asian airlines, including Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines, have also suspended services to Gulf destinations while adding capacity on European routes to meet shifting demand.Meanwhile, some carriers are reallocating resources to less-affected markets.

Airlines such as Qantas and others are increasing flights to European cities, responding to a surge in passenger demand away from disrupted Middle Eastern corridors.Industry participants say the disruptions are being compounded by rising jet fuel costs and shortages linked to constrained oil supplies, forcing airlines to balance safety, cost pressures and demand volatility.

With uncertainty persisting over the duration of the conflict, airlines continue to revise schedules, with many warning that disruptions could extend for months as geopolitical tensions reshape global aviation patterns.

Willie Walsh, head of the International Air Transport Association, said it could take months for jet fuel supplies to stabilize even if the Strait of Hormuz remains open, due to damage and disruption to refining capacity across the Middle East.

Airlines are facing what executives describe as their most severe operational strain in years, as Iran’s earlier closure of the key shipping route choked global jet fuel supply, pushing prices sharply higher.

Although oil prices fell below $100 a barrel following the ceasefire announcement, jet fuel costs remain elevated.Delta Air Lines said it expects lower-than-forecast second-quarter profit and plans to reduce capacity across its network to offset an estimated $2 billion increase in fuel expenses.

The carrier projects jet fuel prices at around $4.30 per gallon for the June quarter, significantly higher than a year earlier.Fuel typically accounts for about 27% of airline operating costs, making the recent surge particularly burdensome.

Industry data indicates jet fuel prices have more than doubled since the onset of the Iran conflict, outpacing increases in crude oil.Airlines globally have responded by raising fares, cutting flights, carrying additional fuel from origin airports and adding refueling stops to manage supply uncertainty.

Walsh said that while crude prices may ease, jet fuel is likely to remain relatively expensive in the near term due to refinery constraints. “Even if it reopens and stays open, it will take months to restore supply to required levels,” he said.The disruption is also affecting adjacent sectors.

TUI said it is assessing options for two cruise ships stranded in Abu Dhabi and Doha since the conflict began, noting it could take weeks to resume operations.Analysts said the ceasefire has supported airline stocks, with some describing the situation as a potential buying opportunity.

However, broader recovery in travel demand may lag, with economists pointing to a prolonged impact on consumer confidence.

According to Oxford Economics, it could take several months for traveler sentiment to normalize, even under a stable ceasefire scenario, as safety perceptions recover gradually.

The Middle East tourism sector, valued at roughly $367 billion, is also expected to face a delayed rebound, reflecting the wider economic fallout from the conflict and supply chain disruptions.

Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, told reporters in Singapore that while crude prices had fallen below $100 per barrel following a U.S.-Iran ceasefire announcement, jet fuel costs were likely to remain elevated due to constraints on refining output.

“If it were to reopen and remain open, I think it will still take a period of months to get back to where supply needs to be given the disruption to the refining capacity in the Middle East,” Walsh said, adding that the region is critical to global supply of refined products beyond aviation fuel.

The Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil trade, has been heavily disrupted during the recent conflict, squeezing fuel availability and driving up costs across the aviation sector.

Airlines in Asia have responded by cutting flights, carrying additional fuel from origin airports and adding refueling stops, measures that have increased operational costs for carriers already dealing with a sharp rise in jet fuel prices.

The impact has been most acute in import-dependent markets such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Pakistan, where supply constraints have tightened further after China and Thailand halted jet fuel exports and South Korea capped shipments at previous levels.

Walsh said a resumption of crude flows could encourage exporters such as China and South Korea to restart shipments of refined products, easing pressure on the market over time.

However, he noted that higher refinery margins, known as crack spreads, would be needed to incentivize increased jet fuel production.

“There is capacity available once we get the crude oil flowing, but it’ll take a little bit of time,” Walsh said.

Fighters from the Islamist group killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens in Saturday’s attacks, the deadliest such incursion in decades, prompting Israel to retaliate by pounding the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

Regulators including the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Israel’s aviation authority urged airlines to use caution in the region’s airspace, but stopped short of suspending flights.

Israel’s civil aviation authority asked airlines to “review current security and threat information” amid the conflict, and changed some air traffic routes. It noted that delays were expected and advised airlines to carry extra fuel.

On Sunday, U.S. air carriers United Airlines (UAL.O), Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and American Airlines (AAL.O) suspended direct flights following the FAA’s caution advisories.

The U.S. airlines normally run direct services from major cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington, DC and Miami.

United said it had run two scheduled flights to the United States from Israel late on Saturday and early on Sunday but then suspended services. Delta representatives said flights this week were cancelled and the situation was being monitored.

Airline Responses

In Europe, Air France (AIRF.PA) and Finland’s Finnair (FIA1S.HE) suspended direct flights.

Britain’s easyJet (EZJ.L) halted flights to Tel Aviv on Sunday and Monday, and said it would adjust the timings of flights over the next few days.

Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air (WIZZ.L) cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.

“Wizz Air is the most affected group with its operations accounting for some 9.4% of Israel’s total October capacity and … representing some 2.3% of the carrier’s total schedules,” Irish brokerage Goodbody said.

Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) group, also among the airlines most exposed to Israel, according to Goodbody, cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Monday.

Portugal’s TAP suspended flights up until Monday and offered refunds or rescheduling at no additional cost.

Virgin Atlantic said it would continue to run some flights but that customers could rebook or request a refund until Oct. 15.

Some airlines continued to fly to Israel.

Flight tracking site Flightradar24 listed upcoming Ben Gurion arrivals from airlines including Ryanair, flyDubai and national carrier El Al.

Israel’s airports authority said on its website Ben Gurion continued to handle arrivals and departures.

Hainan Airlines (600221.SS), the only Chinese airline to fly between China and Israel, cancelled flights between Tel Aviv and Shanghai on Monday.

It said it would continue flights linking Beijing and the southern tech hub of Shenzhen with Tel Aviv while waiving fees for cancellations before Oct. 20.

Cathay Pacific (0293.HK) cancelled its flight between Hong Kong and Tel Aviv due on Tuesday and said it would provide further updates about the next flight on Thursday.

Korean Air (003490.KS) cancelled its Monday flight between the port city of Incheon and Tel Aviv and warned future flights may be irregular.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) had been scrutinizing the deal, announced last November, and had flagged concerns that the merged entity could have a monopoly in the domestic market.

The CCI said its initial review showed the market share of the Tata Group could be more than 50% in at least seven domestic markets, raising competition concerns, sources told Reuters last month.

Air India did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Air India’s merger with Vistara, a joint venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines, will pose a challenge to local rival and market leader IndiGo (INGL.NS).

The process of inviting an Expression of Interest (EoI) signifies the formal commencement of seeking buyers or investors for a potential investment, in line with procedural requirements under Indian law.

Go Airlines, which operated the Go First carrier, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Go Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection in May blaming “faulty” Pratt & Whitney engines for the grounding of about half its 54 Airbus (AIR.PA) A320neos. The engine maker had said the claims are without merit.

According to regulations, the issuance and publication of the Form G – related to the invitation for EoI – would be the “prescribed next – step for taking the insolvency to its logical conclusion,” said Abhirup Dasgupta, a partner at HSA Advocates,

“The final resolution will, however, be subject to the crystallisation of the rights of the lessors,” Dasgupta, who specialises in insolvency law but is not involved in Go First’s proceedings, said

Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, told Reuters the topic had been raised by “every single one” of the airline CEOs he had met as the industry gathers for a three-day annual meeting in Istanbul.

Airlines “are not concerned about the macroeconomic environment, they’re concerned about the access to spare parts for their existing aircraft and the delivery of new aircraft. So it’s definitely got to hold back capacity growth,” he said.

“It’s frustrating because airlines can see strong demand, but they’re not able to match supply with demand in many markets. And this is something we want to see resolved.”

Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N) have blamed supply chains for delivery delays, while bottlenecks in a network of engine repair shops have also forced airlines to ground dozens of jets.

The gathering comes two weeks before the Paris Airshow, where supply pressures are likely to overshadow new orders.