The aviation industry in the Middle East shows signs of gradual recovery after the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Major carriers such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and Etihad Airways have been reporting increased flight frequencies, approaching or surpassing their pre-pandemic levels from 2019.
Qatar Airways has led this recovery trend, operating more flights than in late 2019, aided by a diversified fleet of widebody and narrowbody aircraft. Emirates, while still below 2019 levels, has increased its flight numbers, partly owing to fleet adjustments including replacing some Boeing 777-300ERs with Airbus A350-1000s.
Fleet adjustments and recovery patterns
Saudi Arabian Airlines, with a mixed fleet, continues to struggle to reach its 2019 flight levels, partly due to fleet reductions, including the replacement of A330-200s and A320s with A321neos. Etihad Airways, with the smallest flight count, has shown the highest percentage increase, operating over 15% more flights than in 2019, though it remains behind other carriers in absolute terms.
Overall, the data from Aviation Week’s Tracked Aircraft Utilization database indicates that Middle Eastern airlines are steadily recovering, driven by fleet modernization and increasing demand. The path to full recovery is ongoing, with each airline adjusting its operations to meet pandemic-shifted travel patterns.
