The Middle East has faced a period of turmoil and conflict, causing a wave of airspace closures and flight suspensions. This has greatly impacted travel between the United States and the Middle East, with the FAA issuing restrictions on US carriers flying over Iran, Iraq, Syria, and surrounding airspace. This has led to the suspension of all Middle East services by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines within days, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
However, with the announcement of a US-Iran ceasefire on April 7th, 2026, and the subsequent reopening of airspace over Iraq, Syria, and Bahrain, airlines are now cautiously resuming their routes. This process is taking place in a phased manner, with Gulf airspace still partially restricted. In this guide, we will provide an update on the resumption timeline for each US carrier, the routes and destinations they serve in the Middle East, and their refund and rebooking policies for cancelled flights.
Airline-by-Airline Resumption Timeline
Each US carrier has a different schedule for resuming their Middle East routes, as of mid-April 2026.
Delta Air Lines:
– Tel Aviv (TLV) from Atlanta (ATL) was scheduled to resume on April 15th, 2026, but has been extended to at least September 5th, 2026. – Tel Aviv from Boston (BOS) has been delayed until further notice due to the ongoing security situation. – Delta has also announced a new route from Atlanta to Riyadh (RUH), set to launch on October 23rd, 2026, making it the first US airline to have a nonstop flight to Saudi Arabia. – The New York JFK to Tel Aviv route remains suspended until at least September 5th, 2026.
United Airlines:
– United has extended its suspension of all Middle East nonstop services until at least September 2026. – The affected routes include Newark (EWR) to Tel Aviv (TLV) and Newark to Dubai (DXB). – Passengers can rebook onto Lufthansa Group airlines (Austrian, Swiss, Brussels Airlines) as an alternative for Tel Aviv-bound flights, with rebooking within 30 days of the original travel date or a full refund.
American Airlines:
– American has announced two separate resumption dates: April 23rd, 2026, for Tel Aviv routes and May 7th, 2026, for Doha routes. – Passengers with tickets purchased by March 28th, 2026, for travel between February 28th and July 3rd, 2026, can rebook without change fees or receive a full refund. – For Doha routes, the ticket purchase cutoff is February 27th, 2026, with changes to be completed by July 3rd, 2026. Fare differences may apply for the new routing.
Routes and Destinations: Where US