Travel disruptions in the Middle East

Due to the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East, several countries in the region have closed or restricted their airspace. This has led to a large number of flight cancellations and reroutes, and the situation is changing constantly.

If you're looking for information about flights to or from the United Arab Emirates (including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah), please review our corresponding article here.

We advise you to check your home country's government travel advice before traveling to or through the region. These official sources that provide valuable, up-to-date guidance on the safety of travel to each country:

Please rest assured that we’re monitoring the situation closely. If we receive a disruption notice from the airline regarding your flight, we will notify you immediately via email, and the updated details will be reflected in your trip.

To stay well informed, we also recommend monitoring the situation online. The quickest way to get updates on your flight is to check your airline's and airport's websites directly – they'll have the most current information as the situation develops. 

If your travel is imminent and you need help right away, you can contact our customer support team. We’ve enhanced the number of colleagues available to respond to customer questions, and our team is working around the clock to help everyone affected as quickly as possible. However, due to the very high volume of inquiries, response times may be longer than usual. We're prioritizing customers whose travel dates are closest, so we kindly ask that you only contact us by phone if you’re due to travel in the next 3 days.

Your safety comes first. Please follow all instructions from the local authorities and regularly check reliable news sources and official government updates for the latest information. Your country’s local embassy can also be a valuable source of safety guidance. 

For the latest information on when flights may resume, it is important to stay in direct contact with your airline. Please bear in mind that while airspace closures are still in effect, rerouting options may be very limited.

Several governments are also looking into repatriation options for stranded nationals, so it's worth keeping an eye on your government's official channels for updates.

If your flight was canceled or significantly changed, you will receive refund options from Kiwi.com based on the level of protection that you selected when you booked. Customers who purchased the Kiwi.com Guarantee have the added benefit of Disruption Protection, which covers you if your trip gets disrupted because airlines changed, canceled, or significantly delayed any part of it. If that happens, we’ll offer you Kiwi.com Credit — which can be used to book a replacement flight right away — or we’ll offer to apply for a refund from the airline on your behalf. Your Kiwi Credit can be used to book a replacement journey on any airline, via any airport in the world, meaning you could put it towards a trip that entirely avoids the affected area. 

For flights on any airline that are scheduled to depart from the UK or EU; or, if you’re currently in the Middle East and due to fly to the UK or EU on a British or European registered airline, you can learn more about your customer care rights under EU Regulation 261/2004. Please be aware that claims for compensation and supplemental costs, such as hotel accommodation and meals, must be handled directly with the airline, not with Kiwi.com.

To learn more about what to do if you have travel insurance, please review our corresponding article.

Some airlines operating in the affected region are offering flexible rebooking and refund options. These policies are changing frequently, so we recommend checking the airline's website for the latest terms. However, Kiwi.com is unable to process these kinds of requests, as only the airline has the ability to change your flights. If your airline is offering flexible rebooking options, please contact them directly.

We understand you may want to act quickly, but we recommend waiting for the airline to make a decision on your flight. If you request a refund before the airline formally cancels it, it will be treated as a voluntary cancellation, which typically has more limited refund options. Once the airline cancels, you’re entitled to stronger protections. If that happens, we’ll email you with your available options.