Emirates Resumes Maldives–Colombo Flights After Four-Month Hiatus

Emirates has resumed flights between the Maldives and Colombo, Sri Lanka, following a four-month suspension linked to widespread disruption in the Middle East aviation network.

The resumption comes after significant operational challenges triggered by conflict in the region, which began on 28 February and led to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, Israel and Jordan. These restrictions forced airlines to reroute or cancel thousands of services across global networks.

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Emirates alone cancelled around 54 per cent of its scheduled operations during the peak disruption period, equating to more than 2,000 flights between late February and mid-March.

The airline also temporarily suspended services to several regional destinations due to early airspace closures in the United Arab Emirates. In some instances, aircraft were required to make mid-air turnarounds amid reported drone and missile threats. Overall, more than 30,000 flights to and from Middle Eastern airports were cancelled during the height of the disruption.

Since then, Emirates has been gradually restoring its global schedule, operating services to more than 110 destinations by mid-March.

Other Gulf carriers were similarly affected. Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways also faced extensive cancellations, with 93 per cent of Qatar Airways flights and 79 per cent of Etihad Airways flights grounded at the peak of the crisis.