Military Conflict in the Middle East

A week after the conflict began, severe disruption continues with significant and ongoing impact on both air and sea freight with carriers and airlines are making operational changes at short notice. We are bringing you a more detailed round-up of the situation.
In general, Salalah in Oman is the best operational sea freight port in the region with Riyadh and Jeddah the most accessible airports. Shippers must expect increasing rates, surcharges and longer transit times for all modes.
With ongoing delays and cancellations, space and rates are highly volatile, so quoted rates must be confirmed and booked the same day
We would like to stress again the importance of checking with your insurance underwriters to ensure your policies include appropriate War and Strikes coverage for any cargo moving through affected areas.

Air Freight

Restrictions remain with many flights cancelled, diverted, or rerouted and airports working under heavy limitations. Some flights are operating but the priority is to clear backlogs and airlines are limiting bookings.

Airlines With Partial Schedules

Emirates SkyCargo (Dubai, UAE)
Is operating a limited number of flights, with the priority being to clear the backlog of cargo on hand. All other flights remain suspended until further notice, and there are temporary restrictions on booking and accepting new shipments. They plan a limited freighter schedule from 07/03/26, subject to regulatory approvals though the routes to be served are not disclosed.

Etihad Cargo (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Has a small number of cargo and repositioning flights operating from Abu Dhabi under strict regulatory approvals. Etihad Cargo plans a limited freighter schedule from 09/03/26 though planned frequencies are subject to change. Again, routes are not yet available.

IAG Cargo (UK – London/Madrid)
Flights between London and Jeddah and Riyadh continue to operate as scheduled. Flights to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Doha, Dubai, Bahrain, and Tel Aviv remain suspended.

Oman Air Cargo (Oman – Muscat Some operational disruption, but general cargo operations continue as normal, with services to Europe and Asia Pacific continuing to operate as scheduled, with rerouting implemented where required. However, perishables transportation has been temporarily restricted.

Airlines With Schedules Still Largely Suspended

FedEx Has suspended flights to and from Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, warning that shipments to other markets in the region may experience longer transit times.

Qatar Airways Cargo (Doha) Qatari airspace remains closed with all scheduled commercial flights to / from Doha suspended. There are no regular cargo schedules and acceptance of new freight is suspended until further notice.

Impact

The biggest impact is the reduced availability of cargo capacity via key Gulf hub airports, Dubai (DXB/DWC), Doha (DOH), and Abu Dhabi (AUH), which serve as transit hubs for air freight moving between Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Air freight flows between Asia and Europe are still possible, but airlines are relying on direct long-haul flights or alternative hubs such as Istanbul.

Sea Freight

The Strait of Hormuz remains completely closed, with vessels trapped in the Persian Gulf and all sailings through the strait suspended. As a result, carriers have suspended services bookings to and from the region and have issued “End of Voyage” notices, terminating the contract for shipment at a place of their choosing. Land carriage to final destinations may be possible but will be under fresh documentation and subject to further charges. Some cargo for the Middle East is being discharged in Colombo, where we expect congestion, delays and likely void sailings here too.
Many carriers have introduced War Risk also called Emergency Conflict Surcharges and emergency bunker charges.

Maersk Has temporarily suspended booking acceptances to / from the UAE, Oman (except Salalah), Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Jubail only). Maersk has also paused trans-Suez sailings and is rerouting vessels via the Cape of Good Hope. Salalah (Oman) is being used as a key transhipment hub for cargo not bound for Upper Gulf ports.

CMA CGM Has suspended Suez Canal passage until further notice and is rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope. The carrier has also halted bookings of hazardous and refrigerated cargo to several Middle East countries and has introduced an emergency conflict surcharge of $2,000 per TEU and $3,000 per 40-foot container.

MSC Has suspended all Middle East bookings and also invoked its “End of Voyage” clause, discharging containers at various Middle East and ISC ports, directing customers to take delivery across the region.
HMM, OOCL, ONE, Evergreen Have all confirmed the suspension of Middle East bookings.

Middle East Trucking

Road freight in the region is relatively stable. GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) road corridors remain operational with cross-border trucking between the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and other GCC states continuing, subject to security clearance. Enhanced border inspections and security screenings will increase transit times, and driver movement restrictions or route diversions may be implemented depending on local advisories.

Landside in Europe

The conflict has caused a sharp rise in the price of oil, normally 20% of the world’s oil moves via the Strait of Hormuz which is currently closed. This has already begun pushing up the price of diesel in the UK and across Europe and will directly affect hauliers’ operating costs and road transport expenditure.
Fuel surcharges are rising and we expect these to move to weekly revisions instead of monthly.

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