The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on Saturday has already disrupted air cargo traffic in the Middle East, a key freight corridor between Asia and Europe. The region's two largest cargo airlines are based here, and the conflict is raising concerns about the potential for a rise in air freight rates. Airlines are suspending flights, rerouting traffic around the conflict zone, and unable to use key transload hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar due to retaliatory missile attacks by Iran.
['Longer routes require more fuel, reducing the amount of cargo aircraft can carry so as not to exceed weight limits. Some airlines are expected to add refueling stops to mitigate this issue. The situation is already causing disruptions to air cargo traffic in the Middle East, with FedEx suspending flights to and from Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.', ['FedEx has temporarily suspended pickup and delivery services in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates until further notice. Shipments to and from other markets throughout the region may experience extended transit times. The company is closely monitoring the situation and will resume services as soon as it is safe to do so.', ['Qatar Airways has temporarily halted flights to and from Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The airline offers 13 tons of capacity per day, but warned customers to expect flight delays once the airspace re-opens and it resumes operations there. Tendered cargo is being held at its hub and other stations around the world.', ['Emirates Skycargo has suspended flights through Dubai, operating nearly a dozen Boeing 777 freighters and leasing several crewed Boeing 747-400s from third-party carriers. The United Arab Emirates has closed its airspace, and Dubai International Airport sustained minor damage to a passenger concourse from an Iranian attack.', ["Bahrain's international airport also suffered minor damage from a drone attack. Etihad Airlines has suspended all flights through Abu Dhabi until Monday at 2 a.m., monitoring the situation and considering extending any flight suspensions.", ['The cargo arm of Oman Air is experiencing limited disruption to some services within the region, with services to Europe and the Asia Pacific continuing to operate as scheduled. However, the carriage of perishable cargo has been temporarily restricted, while general cargo operations continue as normal.', ['Data from Netherlands-based consultancy Rotate shows global air cargo capacity down 18% from last week due to flight suspensions by Middle East carriers and other carriers opting not to serve the Middle East. Freight operators in Asia are pivoting from the Middle East and flying over Russia to reach European destinations.', ['Air India has suspended all flights to destinations in the Middle East, as well as many flights to Europe and New York. United Airlines has cancelled all departures to and from Tel Aviv, Israel through March 6, and flights through Dubai through March 4.', ['Freightos, an international cargo marketplace and freight data provider, said air cargo rates in and out of the Middle East have remained stable so far. However, the escalating conflict is likely to lead to increased costs for shippers as airlines adjust to new routing and scheduling requirements.']]]]]]]]]
The escalating war in the Middle East is likely to lead to increased air freight costs as airlines suspend flights and reroute traffic around the conflict zone.
