Instructions for Passengers Due to the Situation in the Middle East
YasyaAround 50 thousand Russian tourists are stranded in cities and resorts of the Middle East. Flights over the conflict zone and neighboring countries are currently suspended due to restrictions imposed by local authorities. The situation has affected not only those vacationing in the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain, but also those who planned to fly with a layover in Dubai. We are collecting all relevant information on the flight situation, and the material is being updated. All news on canceled flights and the status of airports in the region is gathered in this article. Instructions for passengers from the Far East – here.
The main thing is: the situation with airport closures due to the conflict requires calm and prompt action. We recommend following these steps.
If you are in Dubai or other cities with closed airports
Stay calm and remain in a safe place, follow announcements.
Contact the airline: call the hotline or log in to your personal account on their website — you can often immediately request a hotel, compensation, or rebooking.
Document the flight cancellation (screenshot/notification).
Contact us — we will help with ticket actions, according to the airline's rules.
If you are in another country and your flight is through a closed airport
Do not rush to the airport: check the flight status on the airline's or airport's website — you might be able to immediately rebook your ticket to an alternative route or request a refund.
Contact us or the airline to rebook your ticket to an alternative route (from the nearest airport) or for a refund.
Prepare documents (ticket, passport) and keep funds readily available for possible additional expenses; we will help with coordination.
If your flight is in the near future
Monitor official sources: airline and airport websites.
Do not travel to the airport without flight confirmation.
Contact us in advance for a free ticket change or cancellation — many airlines are introducing flexible rules without penalties.
Have a Plan B: consider ground transportation to alternative hubs or a refund to avoid unnecessary expenses.
Due to the large number of flight cancellations and inquiries, the response time of the Customer Care Service is significantly increased. We process requests in the order they are received and will definitely respond to everyone — no inquiry will go unnoticed.
We recommend contacting the airline directly in parallel — this may speed up the resolution of the issue (rebooking, refund, accommodation provision).
We are available 24/7 for assistance. Your safety is our top priority.
Ticket Refund and Exchange Conditions for Airlines
Emirates
Conditions apply to passengers with flights worldwide departing from February 28, 2026, to May 31, 2026:
Free exchange for the airline's own flights for dates up to 15.06.2026 on the same route
Exchange for flights after 15.06.2026 within the ticket's validity period without penalty, but with a possible fare difference payment
Free exchange with route change within the same region without penalty or additional charges, for the airline's own flights for dates up to 31.05.2026
Refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
For tickets with canceled flights or schedule changes exceeding 1 hour during the period from 16.04.2026 to 30.04.2026, the following are available:
One free exchange for dates within +- 10 days of the original flight date
Involuntary refund of the ticket or its unused portion.
For tickets departing after 31.05.26 without schedule changes, one free exchange is possible without penalty, but with additional payments. Refund rules are according to the fare. If the flight is canceled/changed, the standard schedule change policy applies.
Important: the airline informs about the lifting of transit restrictions at Dubai International Airport within the airline's temporary schedule.
Contacts: https://www.emirates.com/ru/russian/help/
El Al Israel Airlines
All El Al Israel Airlines flights until March 01, 2026, are closed for sale until further notice. For tickets with flights up to 25.04.2026, issued by February 28, 2026, the following are available:
If the flight is not canceled — ticket freeze or refund to a voucher.
For tickets on canceled flights, a refund can be processed.
For both canceled and non-canceled flights, a free exchange is available for dates from 15.04.2026 to 19.06.2026 or from 05.01.2027 to 31.03.2027 without route change and without penalty, as well as an exchange with a route change (a fare difference payment will be required).
Contacts: https://www.elal.com/ru/About-ELAL/Contact-Us/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx
AJET
For tickets to/from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, UAE, Riyadh, and Dammam with departures from 28.02.2026 to 31.05.2026 inclusive, the following is available:
Exchange without penalty until 10.07.2026 inclusive
Involuntary refund of unused segments or all tickets if they are completely unused.
Contacts: https://ajet.com/en/contact
Qatar Airways
For flights departing to/from/via Doha airport between 28.02.2026 and 15.09.2026 and booked before 15.05.2026, the following are available:
Free exchange until 31.10.2026. Route change within the same country is possible
Refund without penalty
Rebooking the ticket for open dates. It is important to use the ticket by 31.03.2027.
An interactive assistant for Middle East policy has appeared. Select your ticket parameters and information about available operations with your ticket will appear.
Contacts: https://www.qatarairways.com/ru-uz/help.html?iid=ALL75199970
Air Arabia and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi
Flights to/from UAE suspended until 31.05.2026
For passengers on these flights, the following is available:
One free ticket exchange within + 30 days from the original departure date.
Involuntary refund to a credit voucher for further use within one year.
Involuntary cash refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
Flights to Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq suspended until 15.04.2026:
For passengers on these flights, the following is available:
One free ticket exchange within +15 days from the original departure date. Exception: exchange for 18.03 - 22.03 is not possible.
Involuntary refund to a credit voucher for further use within one year.
Involuntary cash refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
If the flight is not canceled — for departures up to 06.03.2026 inclusive, one change within +-15 days from the original departure date or a refund to a credit voucher for further use within one year is available.
Contacts: https://www.airarabia.com/ru/help/contact-us/call-centre
Etihad Airways
For tickets booked by 28.02.2026 (inclusive) with departure by 15.05.2026 (inclusive).
If the flight is canceled:
Free exchange — can be processed no later than 15.05.2026 (inclusive) for new dates no later than 15.06.2026 (inclusive):
Involuntary refund
If the flight is not canceled:
Free exchange — can be processed no later than 15.05.2026 (inclusive) for new dates no later than 15.06.2026 (inclusive):
for flights to Tel Aviv, a free route change to the airline's own flights to Athens or Jordan airports is permitted.
a route change back to the point of departure or to an active airport within the same region is permitted.
Involuntary refund of the entire ticket or its unused portion
Contacts: https://www.etihad.com/ru/help at the bottom of the page
Gulf Air
For tickets booked by 11.03.2026, with departure dates 28.02 — 15.04.2026
Permitted:
Free exchange up to 2 times without penalty or additional charges for dates up to 30.06.2026.
Involuntary refund of tickets (for partially used — minus the used portion of the ticket), if the original departure on the ticket was scheduled from 28.02.2026 to 15.04.2026.
In case of flight cancellation, regardless of the ticket booking date and the canceled flight's departure date, free rebooking to a new departure date until June 30, 2026, is permitted.
Contacts: https://www.gulfair.com/ru/help/help-center
Virgin Atlantic
If the flight is canceled:
Free ticket exchange.
Involuntary refund of tickets (for partially used — minus the used portion of the ticket)
If the flight is not canceled:
For tickets with flights to/from/via Dubai from 27.02.26 to 15.03.26 booked by 08.03.2026, the following are available:
Free exchange for dates up to 27.03.26 inclusive. If the route is changed, the airline may charge a fare difference.
Involuntary refund
For tickets with flights to/from/via Riyadh 27.02.26-15.03.26 booked by 15.03.2026, the following are available:
Free exchange for dates up to 27.03.26 inclusive. If the route is changed, the airline may charge a fare difference.
Refund of tickets according to fare rules
Contacts: https://www.virginatlantic.com/en-US/contact-us
Saudi Arabian Airlines
From 28.02.26 to 15.03.26, flights Moscow — Riyadh, Jeddah — Riyadh, and Medina – Riyadh are canceled. For tickets, the following is available:
Free exchange within 7 days of original departure.
Involuntary refund of the ticket for the canceled flight
If the flight is not canceled — refund is only available according to fare rules.
Contacts: https://www.saudia.com/pages/help/contact-us/call-centers
China Southern Airlines
For tickets with flights on routes to/from/via Dubai, Riyadh, Tehran, Doha, and with departure dates from 28.02 to 31.05.26 (inclusive), which were booked before 10:00 Moscow time on 10.03.2026, the following are available:
Exchange without penalty with fare difference payment
Involuntary refund without penalty.
Important: actions with the ticket can only be performed until 20:00 on 28.03.26 (inclusive) and if seats are canceled before the original departure date.
Contacts: https://www.csair.com/mcms/mcmsNewSite/ru/ru/#/contactus
Flydubai
If the flight is not canceled but departs within the next 48 hours — we recommend passengers log in to their personal account and rebook tickets for another flight to the same city within 20 days of the original travel date for free. To log in, use your surname and booking reference from the itinerary.
For canceled flights with original departure dates to/from Dubai until 18.04.2026, which were booked before 28.02.2026, the following are available:
Involuntary ticket refund.
Free exchange for dates between 15.04.2026 and 31.05.2026 or for dates from 05.01.2027 to 31.03.2027. For other dates, exchange is possible without penalty, but with a fare difference payment.
Contacts: https://www.flydubai.com/ru/help/contact
Royal Jordanian
For canceled flights from 28.02.26, the following is available:
Free exchange, including for flights up to 20.05.26 (inclusive) without penalty or additional charges, with route change within the IATA zone.
When transiting through Amman, a free exchange for flights of other airlines is possible, but the first flight on the ticket must be with Royal Jordanian.
Involuntary refund to an airline voucher (valid for 1 year).
Cash refund only according to fare rules.
For non-canceled flights from 28.02.26 to 20.03.26, the following is available:
Exchange without penalty, but with a fare difference payment for dates up to 05.12.2026 (inclusive).
Refund according to fare rules.
Contacts: https://www.rj.com/ru/royal-club/stay-connected/contact-us
Turkish Airlines
For some tickets with routes from/to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Dammam, Riyadh, Oman, booked by 28.02.26 (inclusive) with travel dates from 28.02.26 to 31.05.2026 (inclusive), the following are available:
One free exchange, including with route change within the IATA zone, new travel dates and the ticket exchange procedure itself must be by 10.07.26 inclusive.
Involuntary refund. Important: the refund request and processing must be by 10.05.26 inclusive.
Rules may vary depending on the specific ticket.
Contacts: https://www.turkishairlines.com/ru-int/any-questions/get-in-touch/
S7
For tickets on routes to/from Dubai operated by S7 Airlines during the period from 28.02.2026 to 15.03.2026 (inclusive), a full involuntary refund of the ticket or its unused portion is available, regardless of whether the flight is canceled or not.
Contacts: https://www.s7.ru/ru/contacts/?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F#kontaktnyy-tsentr
Air Astana
Flights to Middle Eastern countries suspended until 30.05.2026 inclusive, Almaty — Jeddah — Almaty flights until 11.03.2026 inclusive. Sales closed until 17.03.2026.
For canceled or rescheduled flights to/from Middle Eastern countries until 31.03.26, the following are available:
Involuntary ticket refund.
Free exchange for flights until 31.07.2026
Contacts: https://airastana.com/uk-ru/information/ticketing-office-closure-kyzylorda
Lufthansa Group (OS, SN, LH, LX, EN)
From 30.04.2026, flights to the Middle East are suspended. To/from Dubai and Tel Aviv until 31.05.2026 and to/from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat until 24.10.2026.
If the original flight is not canceled and the route on the ticket is to/from Tel Aviv, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Erbil, and Dammam with travel dates in the range from 03.03 to 15.03.26, the following is available:
Free exchange without penalty or additional charges and route change for dates from 16.03 (inclusive) to 31.03.26 (inclusive).
Involuntary refund before departure. It is important to process it by 15.03.26.
If the original flight is not canceled and the route on the ticket is to/from Tel Aviv, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Erbil, and Dammam with travel dates in the range from 16.03 to 26.03.26, the following are available:
Involuntary ticket refund
Exchange according to fare rules.
For some non-canceled flights with travel dates from 27.03.2026 to 30.04.2026, which were booked before 16.03.2026, an involuntary refund of the ticket or its unused portion is available (all refunds with retention of government taxes)
For canceled or automatically rebooked flights, the standard policy for changes applies.
Contacts: https://www.lufthansa.com/by/ru/help-and-contact
China Eastern Airlines
For flights with routes to/from/via Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, or Muscat with departure dates from 28.02.2026 to 05.03.2026, the following is available:
Free exchange for dates +/- 3 days from the original departure date. Route change is prohibited.
Involuntary refund without penalty.
Actions with the ticket can only be performed until 20:00 on 28.03.26.
Permitted when seats are canceled before departure within the ticket's validity period.
For tickets with flights to/from/via Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, or Muscat, booked before 15:00 on 10.03.2026 and with travel dates from 16.03.2026 to 31.05.2026, the following are available:
One free exchange within 3 days (inclusive) before or after the original flight.
Involuntary refund of the ticket or its unused portion
One route change within 3 days (inclusive) before or after the original flight — without penalty, but with a fare difference payment.
Contacts: https://www.ceair.com/ at the top of the page
ET Ethiopian
For some tickets with routes to/from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Manama, Dammam, Kuwait, Doha, and departure dates from 27.02.2026 to 03.03.2026, the following is available:
Free exchange within the next 2 weeks.
Free exchange with route change and fare difference payment:
route to/from Tel Aviv (TLV) — for return flights to the original departure airport.
route to Tel Aviv — for Athens on own flights.
Involuntary refund without penalty
Rules may vary depending on the specific ticket.
Contacts: https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/ru/services/help-and-contact
Oman Air
For tickets with flights from Europe, Russia, Southeast Asia to Oman and other Middle Eastern countries, which were booked before 28.02.2026 and with travel dates from 08.04.2026 to 30.04.2026, a free exchange for flights until 31.05.2026 is available.
For tickets with flights to Oman and other Middle Eastern countries from 16.03.2026 to 31.03.2026, a free exchange for flights until 31.05.2026 with one route change is available.
For tickets from Europe/Russia/Southeast Asia to Oman and other Middle Eastern countries, booked before 28.03.2026 and with departure dates from 01.04.2026 to 07.04.2026, a free exchange for dates until the ticket's expiration or until 31.12.2026 (whichever comes first) is possible. A surcharge may apply if there are no seats in the original service class.
For transit flights via Muscat departing between 28.02.2026 and 15.03.2026, a free exchange for flights until 31.05.2026 is available.
For tickets from Germany, France, and Russia to Oman and other Middle Eastern countries, which were booked before 28.02.2026 and with travel dates from 01.05.2026 to 15.05.2026, the following are available:
Free exchange in the same service class as the original ticket, for flights until 31.10.2026. If the original class is not available — a fare difference payment will be required. The exchange must be made no later than 15.06.2026.
Involuntary ticket refund is only possible as part of a tour package — a hotel/accommodation booking voucher will need to be sent.
Contacts: https://www.omanair.com/ru/contact-us
UTair
For tickets with canceled flights with travel interval up to 9.03.2026 inclusive, an involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion is available.
Contacts: https://www.utair.ru/information/contacts/
Aeroflot
For tickets with canceled flights on routes to/ — Dubai and Krasnodar — Dubai with travel until 13.05.2026 and flights on the Moscow — Abu Dhabi route until 19.04.2026, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the ticket price or its unused portion
Free exchange for dates from 20.04.2026 to 24.10.2026 on the same route
Exchange with route change for dates from 20.04.2026 to 24.10.2026 without penalty, but with a fare difference payment — exchange is only possible by contacting the airline directly.
For tickets with canceled flights on routes to/from Saint Petersburg — Dubai and Yekaterinburg — Dubai with travel until 17.05.2026, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the ticket price or its unused portion
Free exchange for dates from 21.09.2026 to 24.10.2026 on the same route
Exchange with route change for dates from 21.09.2026 to 24.10.2026 without penalty, but with a fare difference payment — exchange is only possible by contacting the airline directly
Contacts: https://www.aeroflot.ru/xx-ru/about/contact
Japan Airlines
For tickets with routes to/from Middle Eastern countries, booked no later than 28.02.2026 and departing no later than 01.06.2026, the following is available:
If there were changes to the ticket (cancellation or flight reschedule):
Free exchange for a date +- 7 days from the original flight date, route cannot be changed
Involuntary refund of the ticket price or its unused portion.
If there were no changes to the ticket (cancellation or flight reschedule) and it was booked no later than 28.02.2026, departing from 02.04.2026 to 01.06.2026 inclusive.
For completely unused tickets — an involuntary refund of the ticket price is available.
For partially used tickets — one free exchange or an involuntary refund of the unused portion of the ticket.
For some tickets booked no later than 28.02.2026, with departure dates from 02.04.2026 to 01.06.2026, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the entire ticket or its unused portion
Free exchange for flights +- 7 days from the original departure date, without route changes.
Contacts: https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/help/inter/
Pegasus Airlines
Flights canceled:
28.02.26 — 30.04.26 from/to Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
For some tickets with canceled flights to/from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Riyadh and Dammam), and Bahrain with departure dates until 30.04.2026, the following is available:
Free exchange without route change. The new travel date must be no later than 7 days from the original, if not possible, only a refund is available.
Full involuntary refund of the ticket or its unused portion.
Contacts: https://www.flypgs.com/ru/contact/call-center
Pobeda
For tickets with canceled flights to/from UAE with departure dates 04.03.226 to 28.03.2026, the following is available:
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
Free exchange for repatriation flights. For exchange, passengers need to fill out the airline's form. Feedback will be provided by Pobeda's call center.
Contacts: https://www.flypobeda.ru/information/contacts
Belavia
For tickets with canceled flights to/from Dubai with departure dates 04.03.2026 to 05.03.2026, the following is available:
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
Free exchange. Route changes are prohibited. The exchange must be made by 15.03.2026. After this date, only a refund will be available.
For all tickets with flights to/from Dubai with departure dates until 31.03.2026, an involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion is available. The refund must be processed before the original flight's departure time.
Contacts: https://belavia.by/kontakty/
Air China
For tickets with canceled flights to/from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, the following is available:
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
Exchange without airline penalty, but with a fare difference payment.
Contacts: https://ru.airchina.com/RU/RU/contact-us/
FitsAir
For tickets with flights to/from Dubai, booked by 28.02.2026 (inclusive) and with original departure dates from 28.02.2026 to 02.03.2026, the following is available:
One free exchange for flights until 10.03.2026
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
Contacts: https://fitsair.com/contact-us/
SunExpress
For tickets with flights on routes Dubai — Antalya — Dubai and Dubai — Izmir — Dubai with departure dates until 11.03.2026 inclusive, one free exchange is available, even if the original flight is not canceled.
Contacts: https://www.sunexpress.com/en-gb/information/help/help-contact/
Azimuth
For canceled flights with routes to the Middle East, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
Exchange without airline penalty for new flights within a range of up to 2 months from the original departure date.
If the flight is not canceled — permission for a refund or free exchange is clarified with the airline individually for each ticket.
Contacts: https://azimuth.ru/ru/about/contacts
Azerbaijan Hava Yollary/AZAL
For canceled flights, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
Free exchange for airline flights to/from the same points for dates within 14 days of the original ones.
Contacts: https://www.azal.az/ru/corporate-information/representation-offices/
Egyptair
For tickets with canceled flights from Cairo to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Beirut, Doha, Amman, Dammam, Bahrain, Baghdad, Erbil, or Kuwait, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion.
Free exchange for dates until 15.03.2026 on the same route.
Contacts: https://www.egyptair.com/en/contact-us/Pages/default.aspx
Ural Airlines
For tickets on routes to/from Dubai with departure dates until 15.04.2026, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion. It is important to process the refund before the original flight's date and time on the ticket
Free exchange for dates +- 14 days from the original flight date. The trip duration can be changed within +- 3 days.
Contacts: https://www.uralairlines.ru/contacts/
Qantas Airways
For tickets with flights on routes to/from/via UAE, Qatar, Israel, Jordan, Oman, booked by 06.03.26 inclusive and with travel dates from 28.02.2026 to 31.03.2026, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion in cash or as an airline voucher
Free exchange for the same destination on the airline's own flights.
Contacts: https://www.qantas.com/en-au/help/contact-us
Uzbekistan Airways
For tickets with canceled flights on the route Tashkent — Dubai — Tashkent, Dubai — Tashkent — Dubai and on routes with a layover in Dubai, which were booked before 06.03.2026 with departure dates until 15.04.2026 inclusive, an involuntary refund of the ticket or its unused portion is available.
For tickets with canceled flights on routes to/from Tel Aviv departing from 02.03.2026, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the ticket or its unused portion.
Free exchange for new dates no later than 1 month from the date of resumption of flights on this route.
Contacts: https://www.uzairways.com/ru/svyazatsya-s-nami
Kuwait Airways
For some tickets with departure dates until 20.03.2026, affected by the closure of Kuwaiti airspace, an involuntary refund is permitted.
Contacts: https://kuwaitairways.com/en/contact/contactus
Air Mauritius
For tickets with original departure dates from 31.03.2026, the following are available:
Involuntary refund of the full ticket price or its unused portion
Free exchange for dates until 30.04.2026
Contacts: https://www.airmauritius.com/en/help/contact-us
Cyprus Airways
For some tickets with canceled flights on routes Larnaca — Dubai, Larnaca — Tel Aviv, Larnaca — Beirut with departure dates in the interval from 28.02.2026 to 31.03.2026, the following are available:
Free exchange for dates until 31.05.2026. Route change is prohibited. Exception: for flights 03.04.2026 - 20.04.2026, a fare difference payment will be required.
Involuntary refund of the entire ticket or its unused portion.
For some tickets with flights on routes Larnaca — Dubai, Larnaca — Tel Aviv, Larnaca — Beirut with departure dates in the interval from 31.03.2026 to 20.04.2026, the following are available:
Exchange without penalty, but with a fare difference payment within the ticket's validity period
Refund according to fare rules.
Contacts: https://www.cyprusairways.com/en/contact-us
Flight changed or you are unsure about your trip? We will help you figure it out
1. If the flight is not canceled, but you want to cancel your trip
If the flight is operating as scheduled, but you are concerned and would like a refund:
Do not rush to process a voluntary refund. Many airlines now allow involuntary refunds if the route passes through Middle Eastern airspace.
Above you will find the current airline rules. Check if your ticket meets these conditions, and if necessary, create a request for an involuntary refund in your personal account on the order page. In this case, we will refund the full ticket price or its unused portion.
Please note:
For voluntary refunds, money is returned according to the airline's fare rules — the amount may be significantly less or a refund may be prohibited altogether.
If the flight does not yet fall under the rules, but the route includes Middle Eastern countries, it sometimes makes sense to wait. In case of cancellation, you will be able to process an involuntary refund under more favorable conditions.
An involuntary refund is not the fastest process. The crediting period can be up to 30 days. Please consider this when planning to purchase a new ticket.
Passenger safety is always the top priority for airlines. If a flight remains on schedule, it means its operation has been approved by regulatory authorities. Carriers only operate flights when they are fully confident that all safety requirements are met.
2. If the flight is canceled or rescheduled
If your flight is canceled or the departure time is changed:
Log in to your personal account and create a request for an involuntary refund or write to us in chat. We will refund the full ticket price or process a refund for its unused portion.
If the new date proposed by the airline does not suit you — choose an involuntary exchange.
We will check which flights allow free transfer, offer all available options, and accompany your request until the issue is fully resolved.
