American/United Suspends Flights To Doha/Dubai: Peculiar
- Konrad Tillman
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
Intro
With the conflict in the Middle East escalating, we have seen all sort of stuff happening in the aviation world, ranging from an Emirates Plane being stranded in Tehran, to El Al shipping out their whole fleet to other countries. If you thought this wasn't going to affect US travel, think again.
The Details
For those unaware, American Airlines used to operate a daily direct flight utilizing a 777 from New York to Doha. However, as of 2023, the airline got rid of its daily route from New York and switched it to Philadelphia on a 787-9.
However, from June 18th until June 22nd (possibly longer), American Airlines has decided to suspend flights between the two cities over "safety concerns".
So here is where it gets interesting, though, as United has also suspended its route between Newark and Dubai (unofficially) for the time being. Flights in the past three days have been cancelled, and only time will tell how much longer this will last.
Why? My Thoughts
For those who haven't checked it out, Emirates and Qatar Airways seem to be operating their flights without a hitch. This is primarily due to the path that the airlines take when flying to UAE/Qatar, as they head over Egypt and then around.
So why might American and United be cancelling flights?
Now, I know absolutely nothing about what is going on behind the scenes, but I imagine that this might have something to do with insurance. While it would be possible to vector to avoid even the more "dangerous" airspaces, it makes sense for both airlines to just funnel passengers through Qatar and United.
Annoying, yes, but I sort of (not really) get it.
Final Thoughts
American Airlines and United Airlines have both temporarily suspended flights from Philadelphia and Newark to Doha and Dubai due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. While I imagine this is to do with insurance, I would be curious to know what others think about this.
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