The Middle East - the actual situation

Dear partners, allow us to inform you about the current developments in the Middle East with regard to air and sea transport.

AIR TRANSPORT

The situation varies between different airlines, but flights are generally suspended or canceled. The only difference is in the dates, which are estimated by all airlines due to the uncertainty of the situation and may change depending on the current situation and developments in the region.

Flights with transfers in the Middle East or routing through the region's airspace, which airlines will avoid, are also affected, and flights may therefore be longer with delayed arrival times.

Selection of some current news from airlines:

Lufthansa:

Due to the current situation in the Middle East, Lufthansa Cargo, together with the Lufthansa Group, is suspending flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, and Tehran until March 8.
The following airspaces will not be used until March 8: Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, and Iran.
Lufthansa Group airlines will also suspend flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi until March 4.
The airspace of the United Arab Emirates will not be used until March 4.
 
Qatar Airways:

All Qatar Airways flights from Prague are canceled on February 28, March 1, and March 2.
Due to the expected backlog and the fact that it is not yet known when operations will resume, it is not possible to submit shipments to this airline (prefix 157). Skyport will not accept shipments until further notice.

Etihad Airways

 
Due to the current situation in the Middle East, all Etihad Airways flights are canceled until further notice.
 
All bookings are suspended. It is not possible to rebook to other flights at this time.
 
Please do not submit booked shipments to Menzies. We recommend that you pick up any shipments that have already been submitted.

 
If you wish to keep your booking, we cannot guarantee the scheduled departure date.
 
If you wish to cancel your booking, please send us a brief confirmation. No cancellation fees will be charged.
 
 

Services to other destinations remain unchanged for the time being, but the situation is constantly evolving and it is necessary to check based on the current situation, destination, and airline. 

OCEAN TRANSPORT

Ports in the Middle East suspend operations due to fears of attacks

Ports in Dubai, Oman, and Bahrain have suspended operations following a series of air strikes across the region. Iran's retaliatory attack reportedly caused at least one fire in Dubai's Jebel Ali port, and two vessels were hit off the coast of Oman.

According to the Dubai Press Office, a fire broke out in one of Jebel Ali's berths after debris from an air defense strike hit it on Saturday. Smoke was still visible from the port this morning.

Port operations in the Middle East vary. While several terminals continue to operate normally and no formal increase in security threats has been announced, several ports have suspended or partially closed in the last 24 hours, while shipping companies have suspended bookings for them.

Jebel Ali has suspended all operations. Other major ports in the UAE, including Khalifa Port, Sharjah, and Khor Fakkan, remain operational, as do ports in Saudi Arabia. However, operations at the port of Duqm in Oman have been suspended, while Muscat and Salalah remain operational.

In addition, major shipping lines have suspended sailing through the Strait of Hormuz and diverted ships away from the Suez Canal. At least 15 container ships changed course during transit through Hormuz, while most others either suspended operations or diverted. Approximately 170 vessels remain inside the strait and are currently unable to leave.

MSC has suspended global cargo bookings to the Middle East and ordered ships in or bound for the Persian Gulf to move to designated safe areas. CMA CGM and Maersk have suspended all transit through the Suez Canal. Hapag-Lloyd has stopped sailing through Hormuz, citing its official closure by the authorities due to the deteriorating security situation.

The first shipowners have already begun to warn of the imminent announcement of War Risk Surcharges, which may affect not only the directly affected area of the Middle East, but also services to and from the Far East, which are indirectly affected by the situation.

The BDP-Wakestone team is monitoring the situation and its potential impact on air and sea freight services and transit times. Customers with shipments transported through or to the Middle East should expect possible delays.