With talks to end the Iran war continuing to hit roadblocks and delays, the security situation across much of the Middle East remains too volatile for many airlines. The most recent exchange of strikes between U.S. and Israeli forces in the Strait of Hormuz took place on June 28.
Delta Air Lines recently extended the suspension of its route between Atlanta and Tel Aviv until November 2026 while American Airlines delayed the restart of two high-profile routes to Doha and Tel Aviv until 2027.
British Airways has also recently scaled back the restart of its flight between London Heathrow and Dubai from August to October 2026.
KLM pushes back flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam until later in summer 2026
KLM, the Dutch flag carrier that flies to a number of major cities across the Middle East from Amsterdam, has also been pushing back their restart into the summer and fall. In its most recent update published on July 1, the airline said that it will “not operate flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam until and including August 23.”
Last month, the carrier published a potential restart schedule of July 12 for Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia and Aug. 12 for Dubai. None of these routes has run since March 1. The Aug. 23 date is, as seen by the multiple pushbacks, a moving target that will be kept only if the situation in the Middle Eastern airspace stabilizes.
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“Despite recent reporting about the situation in the Middle East, the current circumstances in the region still bring uncertainties,” KLM said in its earlier statement. “To provide clarity and certainty to travelers scheduled to fly to Dubai in the coming weeks, the cancelations have been extended.”
Passengers who booked travel on these routes will have almost certainly already been contacted by the airline with refund and rebooking options earlier in the spring. But those who have not and still have a valid ticket for later in the year can either continue to hold onto it or refund it.
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How to get a refund for a canceled KLM flight to the Middle East
According to the policy stated on KLM’s website, anyone who pushed back their ticket to a time earlier than the current restart date can continue to change the date without the usual fees or limits should their fare class not automatically allow for changes or request a refund to the original method of payment.
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“We understand that this decision has a significant impact on our travelers and are doing everything possible to keep them well informed,” KLM’s statement on the ongoing situation reads. “Passengers whose flights have been cancelled will be notified personally. They can change their flight or request a refund on the KLM website.”
Air France, which is part of the same joint airline company with KLM, has also suspended its flights between Paris and Tel Aviv until July 1 and its flights to Dubai and Beirut from the city until July 5.
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