Greece Airspace Closure: Will UAE, GCC Flights Be Affected?

Some UAE and GCC flights were impacted by the closure of Greece airspace after a massive radio communication failure. As airlines reroute their flight path, taking longer to reach their destinations, there could be a minor impact on airfares, an analyst said.

"Despite the temporary closure of Greece airspace on the morning of January 4, 2026, Emirates flights to and from Athens have been minimally impacted. We continue to monitor developments closely. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority,” said an Emirates spokesperson.

According to Flightradar24, Greece airspace is one of the primary gateways into Europe from the southeast, so virtually all UAE and Gulf carriers with flights passing this airspace would be affected. "Short term it was fixed in a few hours, with backup frequencies being used instead. We still don't know the root cause of the issue. It may have been a 'simple' failure, malicious intent or, as some has suggested, issues due to aging infrastructure," it said in a statement.

Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research, said that while Greece airspace is open to UAE and GCC airlines for direct flights to Greece, for northern and other European flights, there is less need to fly through Greece airspace, which is further south and would increase flight times.

"For the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Air Arabia, and flydubai all service Greece, their European operations will be less impacted given that they are not reliant on Greece airspace,” he added.

Ahmad added that at this early stage, thousands of passengers and probably a few hundred flights will be impacted, especially to and from the GCC, where many travel at this time of year ahead of spring and Ramadan. This may result in higher airfares from airlines that cannot redeploy capacity at short notice.

"If this drags on beyond 12-24 hours, then the magnitude of flights being hit, predominantly from within the EU, then yes, we're looking at thousands of flights being hammered here,” he added.

He added that with radio and telecommunications failing and no backup system in place, travellers will face difficulties until the situation is resolved.

“While flights are grounded and others in the air that would transit Greece's airspace will simply now avoid and re-route to try and further minimise delays,” added Ahmad.

MENAFN05012026000049011007ID1110555479