Cathay Pacific has extended the suspension of all passenger flights between Hong Kong and the Middle East to the end of May, deepening uncertainty for travellers and businesses that rely on Gulf connections.
The move affects services to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, which were first halted on February 28 following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent regional escalation. The airline has now prolonged the suspension at least four times, after earlier extensions to the end of March and then April.
Cathay said it was “monitoring the situation closely” and that safety remained the guiding principle behind route decisions. The carrier has activated an expanded ticket waiver policy, allowing affected passengers to rebook, reroute or seek refunds without penalty, with some waivers currently covering travel through the end of May.
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Alternative options via Middle Eastern and Asian hubs remain available, with Emirates, Qatar Airways and others still operating into the Gulf, but analysts say displaced Hong Kong passengers are facing tighter seat availability and longer routings.
Aviation observers note that Cathay’s decision reflects both conflict-related airspace risks over parts of Iraq and Iran and war-driven drops in demand that have made some point-to-point routes commercially marginal.
Cargo flows have also been affected, with some forwarders diverting shipments that once moved via Dubai through Bangkok and Singapore instead, pushing up rates on those corridors.
