Gulf Air and Iraqi Airways have resumed scheduled commercial flights from their respective bases following the US-Iranian ceasefire agreement that allows the two countries to open their airspaces. Gulf Air operated a limited network from Dammam during March 2026 and began opening its services to Riyadh using an A320-200N aircraft on April 9. Iraqi Airways announced it would start operations from Baghdad on April 10, targeting domestic and international destinations, including Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Basrah, Istanbul, Cairo, and Amman.
While most nations lifted restrictions on airspace reopenings, Kuwait and Iran continue to have restrictions in place. Aviation analysts indicate that the regional airspace situation is stabilizing, encouraging airlines to ramp up their services. Gulf Air’s fleet comprises 72 aircraft serving 55 destinations, with recent data showing that the airline operated a service to Riyadh on April 9, with plans for further route expansion.
