Middle East aviation recovery grows but constraints remain, reports IBA

Middle East aviation recovery is strengthening after the disruption tied to the Israel-Iran conflict involving the US, according to an IBA analysis. The report says major Gulf hubs have shifted from acute disruption to sustained recovery over the past three months, as airspace restrictions ease and regional confidence returns. Operational performance, however, remains below pre-conflict norms due to longer routings and changing fleet utilization patterns. IBA also reports that aircraft storage levels have fallen as operators return fleets to service after a sharp rise in parked planes immediately after the conflict began. For example, Qatar Airways cut parked aircraft from 181 in March to 45 in June, while Emirates reduced parked aircraft from 44 to 28. The average Europe-to-Asia flight time rose from 9 hours in February to 9 hours 47 minutes in June, reflecting persistent longer block times.