Gulf carriers recover as Iran conflict disruptions ease

Gulf carriers recover as Iran conflict disruptions ease, with airlines in the Middle East steadily restoring service after months of disruption tied to the Iran conflict. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicates major carriers have returned to about 82% of their February 27 flight volumes, the day before hostilities began. Gulf Air and Kuwait Airways have recently exceeded their pre-war activity levels. The improvement follows an interim U.S.-Iran agreement this week intended to end nearly four months of conflict, with further implementation discussions expected on June 19. The fighting had disrupted a major aviation corridor, triggering reroutes, suspensions, and airport closures after missile and drone attacks. Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad are at least 90% of pre-war levels or close, compared with 40% to 50% a month earlier, while safety concerns remain and EASA still warns flights are a risk.