Malaysia Airlines will temporarily resume services to and from Jeddah and Madinah on 4 to 8 March, following the suspension of services from 28 February, due to airspace closures in parts of the Middle East. The Ramadan month is a busy month as pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia to perform umrah, which is a pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims undertake.
Services to Doha remain suspended until 7 March as the airline continues to assess the security situation, said Malaysia Aviation Group.
All other flights, including services to London and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, remain on schedule, operating on alternative routings well clear of the affected conflict zone.
“Affected passengers are being notified and assisted with alternative travel arrangements where required. Passengers are advised to update their contact details via ‘My Booking’ for timely updates,” said MAG.
Assistance is also available via live chat on the website, or contact the Malaysia Airlines Global Contact Centre at 1-300 88 3000 (within Malaysia) or +603-7843 3000 (outside Malaysia).
MAG said that as flights resume, Malaysia Airlines is taking proactive measures to safeguard operations, including using alternative flight paths to avoid affected regions; maintaining close coordination with aviation authorities and airport partners; strengthening in-flight safety and operational procedures; and keeping passengers informed with timely updates and support.
Update on other Asian airlines
Singapore Airlines cancellation flights to and from Dubai and Jeddah, up until March 7, Scoot flights has also cancelled flights from Singapore to Jeddah until 7 March.
Two Indonesian carriers whose routes pass through Middle Eastern airspace, Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air, have not been directly affected so far. Flights to Jeddah continue to operate normally, although Garuda has rerouted its Amsterdam-bound service through Cairo, Egypt, to avoid conflict zones.
Thai Airways confirmed that all flights are operating as scheduled. For European routes, THAI is using alternative flight paths that avoid affected airspace. As a result, flight times to and from Europe may be slightly extended.
Flights booked out, airfares soar
Reuters reported that the price of flights between Asia and Europe has soared after the closure of key Middle Eastern hubs, with airline websites showing tickets on many popular routes booked out for days.
Flights on European routes that do not transit through the Middle East continue operating normally. Carriers that offer non-stop Asia-Europe flights are able to bypass the closed Middle Eastern airspace by flying north via the Caucasus then Afghanistan or south via Egypt then Saudi then Oman.
However, travel time may increase due to detours, and higher traffic on alternative routes could cause some delays.
Cathay Pacific’s website showed no available economy-class seats on the Hong Kong-London route until 11 March. Mainland Chinese airlines’ websites showed fares on China-UK routes have also surged far above normal levels, with economy-class seats largely unavailable on near-term departures.
Thai Airways is experiencing fully booked Europe-bound flights as European tourists opt for direct routes rather than transiting through the Middle East.
Taiwan’s EVA Airways said bookings for its Europe-bound flights had surged as Asian and European passengers seek alternative routing options.
