Middle East crisis: JKIA air traffic balloons as Gulf carriers seek refuge

The war in the Middle East and Gulf region has turned Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) into one of the busiest airports where major airlines land and refuel in their rerouted journeys.

On Sunday, the Nation witnessed some of the aircraft belonging to Qatar Airways, Etihad, China Airlines, Emirates, as well as Ethiopian Airlines, which had been grounded following the disruption.

The situation on the airside contrasted the international departure and arrival terminals where there was less than normal activity. The screenboard for the international arrivals and departures at Terminal IC was switched off, with few stranded people in the queue.

In interviews with Nation, they said that some airlines connecting through the Middle Eastern hubs, including Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha had cancelled their flights as others issued notices asking passengers to reschedule their travel.

“We have been here since morning and what they do is ask us to wait for information, which has been the case for the last six hours. Why can’t they tell us to go home or just cancel the flight like some,” said a distraught traveller on Sunday.

Kenya Airways maintained that the temporary suspension of flights to the United Arab Emirates due to the airspace closure continues, affecting passengers who had planned to travel to and from Dubai, and Sharjah.

On Monday, Ethiopian Airlines said that it was cancelling more of its Middle East flights.

“Due to airspace closures in multiple Middle East countries, Ethiopian Airlines has cancelled its flights to and from Amman, Beirut, Bahrain, Tel Aviv, Doha, Kuwait, Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Dammam until further notice… passengers affected by the flight cancellations are offered the following options: Rebooking for a new travel date once operations resume, rerouting to nearby destinations, full refund of the unused ticket,” the statement reads.

Etihad Airways said through an update on X platform that due to the regional airspace disruption which led to regional airspace closure, its operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until Monday in the afternoon when they would issue an update.

“Guests holding Etihad tickets issued on or before 28 February 2026, with original travel dates up to 3 March 2026, may rebook free of charge onto Etihad-operated flights up to 15 March 2026. Guests on all Etihad flights until 3 March may request a full refund. Guests who booked through a travel agent should contact their agent directly,” part of the message reads.

Qatar Airways said in their updates on Monday that flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the continued closure of Qatari airspace.

Worldwide disruptions 

“Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A further update will be provided on March 03 by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC). Passengers are advised to monitor the latest flight information,” part of the statement reads.

As the US and Israel continue to intensify their joint operation targeting the Iranian regime, the retaliation from Iran has affected businesses, causing disruption worldwide across major sectors with the air travel and hotel industries being hit the most.

The start of Operation Epic Fury led to thousands of flights being cancelled and forced major international airlines to find alternative airports that could guarantee the safety of passengers and crew as they wait for the situation to return to normalcy.

Attempts to seek an interview with the Kenya Airports Authority regarding the number of aircraft parked at JKIA as well as the affected flights were unsuccessful, as the authority refused to grant the team an interview, citing security-related issues.

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