As air traffic across the Gulf region is heavily impacted following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks, stranded travellers in Dubai are looking for ways out. For those who are wealthy enough to be able to afford them, private flights have become increasingly attractive.
Known as a playground for wealthy travellers and expats, Dubai is usually a sought-after holiday destination. However, over the past few days, the city has been heavily impacted by the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, with Iranian missiles hitting Dubai and its surroundings. This has caused most flights to be cancelled, although Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, and other Emirati carriers announced the partial resumption of select services late on Monday, 2 March.
With UAE airspace facing major restrictions, the @wingbits map is telling the story in real time. Traffic is funneling hard into Muscat, now the closest reliable international gateway.
— Yanal Hammoudeh (@yenalmh) March 4, 2026
Commercial departures are packed solid, and business jet activity is spiking as those with… pic.twitter.com/w6gcI9E4tE
Nevertheless, flights are a scarce good and many travellers find themselves stranded at their hotel. While some have no other option than to wait for a change or an open seat on a commercial flight, others are taking the matter into their own hands by looking for an alternative way out.
Demand for private flights from Muscat, Oman, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has skyrocketed over the past few days. While they are located at respectively a 4.5-hour and a 10-hour drive from Dubai, many wealthy travellers are choosing to complete that journey – sometimes accompanied by private security guards – in order to board one of the few available flights that leave from there.
The super-rich are getting out of conflict zones of Middle East in own and chartered private jets. The continuous flight of the business jets has started Tuesday and is still on.#IranWar #IranIsraelWar #MiddleEast pic.twitter.com/ysRfvc5W7c
— Jacob K Philip (@JacobKPhilip) March 4, 2026
Increasing budget required
The sudden surge in demand, as well as the increased risk, has led to a stark price increase for private and charter flights in the Gulf region. According to the American news agency Associated Press, some people are paying up to 200,000 euros for a flight out, while the chief executive of the private jet brokerage Vimana Private Jets, Ameerh Naran, mentions prices of up to $350,000 while talking to the British newspaper The Guardian.
“The demand is huge, and we can’t deliver enough aircraft to respond to the demand. This increase in cost reflects the aircraft’s scarcity, the repositioning costs as well, and the operator risk assessments. So this is not speculative pricing”, Altay Kula, CEO of the France-based private jet broker JET-VIP, told AP.
At the time of writing, it is unclear when all those who don’t have the budget to buy a seat on a private jet will be able to leave Dubai. While Dubai’s tourist board has told hotels to extend tourists’ stays when they weren’t able to leave due to the mass flight cancellations, according to The Guardian, that demand is not always being followed. Moreover, at least six cruise ships are anchored and stuck in the region, leaving thousands of tourists confined to their ships or even their rooms.
