Middle East Carrier Utilization: Royal Jordanian and Etihad Grow Despite Conflict
Despite regional conflicts, Middle East carriers like Royal Jordanian and Etihad have seen significant growth in flight utilization compared to narrowbody-focused airlines facing suppressed demand.
Newsnibs Staff
- 2026-10-17
- Updated 10:36 AM UTC
Middle East carriers are showing sharply divergent recovery patterns six months into the regional conflict, according to an analysis published Friday by Aviation Week comparing September flight activity to the same month in 2025. Overall flight cycles across the region remain down more than 17% for the year to date, with most of that decline concentrated in the second quarter.
The damage has fallen hardest on narrowbody-focused carriers. FlyDubai, Flyadeal, and Flynas continue to post lower flight volumes, with demand still suppressed by the conflict. Recent escalations in Saudi Arabia have added further strain on air travel infrastructure there.
The Gulf's long-haul connector carriers have fared better. Emirates' utilization is down just 2% from a year earlier, a comparatively small drop given the regional disruption. Etihad Airways has gone further, posting utilization almost 10% higher than September 2025, which Aviation Week attributes to a 15% larger in-service fleet.
Royal Jordanian Airlines shows the sharpest gain in the region, with utilization up 25% year over year. Aviation Week links that increase to a 6% expansion of its in-service fleet, wider availability of its Pratt & Whitney GTF-powered aircraft, and the airline's geographic distance from the conflict's centers in Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash
