Middle East war exposes Europe’s dependence on Gulf airlines

The ongoing war in the Middle East has exposed Europe’s heavy dependence on Gulf airlines for long-haul connections to Asia, as widespread airspace disruptions force carriers to reroute flights and reassess their strategies, the recent piece by Daily Sabah says.

Since the United States and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran on February 28, air traffic over Gulf countries has been severely disrupted. The region had become a critical transit hub linking Europe, the United States, Asia and Oceania. Following Iran’s retaliatory strikes, tens of thousands of flights have been cancelled, affecting millions of passengers.

The disruption has left many European travellers stranded in Asia, unable to transit through major hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi—home bases of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, which dominate long-haul transit routes.

Airline executives say the crisis highlights structural vulnerabilities in Europe’s aviation network. Speaking at a Brussels press conference of the Airlines for Europe (A4E) association, Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith noted that hundreds of grounded aircraft—including around 100 typically operating routes to and from Europe—demonstrate how reliant the continent has become on Gulf carriers.

In response, major European airlines, including Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, along with Asian carriers, have begun increasing direct Europe–Asia flights. Smith said this reflects a broader ambition to maintain such routes year-round, regardless of geopolitical disruptions.

The situation has also reignited criticism of the European Union’s aviation policies. A4E, whose members include Lufthansa, IAG (parent of British Airways), Ryanair and easyJet, has long opposed the EU’s open skies agreement with Qatar, in force since 2021. A4E managing director Ourania Georgoutsakou said the crisis offers an opportunity to rethink Europe’s aviation strategy and reduce dependence on external carriers.

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr warned that Europe is effectively losing connectivity and autonomy. He pointed to the example of the Philippines, noting that European airlines had previously operated routes to Manila but ceded them to Gulf carriers, which are now largely grounded due to the conflict.

“We used to fly to Manila. Our friends used to fly to Manila,” Spohr said, adding that the current situation shows Europe risks “losing sovereignty” by relying too heavily on foreign airlines for key routes.

By Tamilla Hasanova