Business jet departures in Middle East drop 30% during Iran war
Take-offs between Feb 28, when the war started, and Jun 28 fall to 15,171, from 21,529 in the year-ago period
Published Thu, Jul 2, 2026 · 01:53 PM
[MONTREAL] Business jet departures in the Middle East declined about 30 per cent in the aftermath of the Iran war, a trend that is at risk of continuing until a peace deal is signed.
The number of take-offs between Feb 28, when the war started, and Jun 28 fell to 15,171, according to aviation data provider Wingx Advance. That compares with 21,529 in the same period a year earlier.
“While we can’t predict the future, I would be shocked if we saw anything different while the war goes on,” Wingx analyst Nick Koscinski said.
The precipitous fall occurred in tandem with the crisis enveloping the region’s commercial carriers. Soon after fighting started, passengers with the means were able to charter private jets at a premium to escape missile attacks by Iran on targets in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The barrages prompted countries to close their airspaces, and Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways drastically reduced their capacities and grounded some planes.
Business jets are fixtures in the Middle East, ferrying dealmakers, oil executives and tourists. While only 3 per cent of the global fleet is based there, about 14 per cent of all flights criss-crossed the region last year, according to Wingx.
The UAE saw a boost in private jet departures in recent years thanks to its Golden Visa residency program and other policies to attract ultra-high-net-worth people.
“The return of business aviation activity will be directly linked to the return of those individuals, and that remains unclear at the moment,” said Adam Cowburn, managing director at Alton Aviation Consultancy.
The world’s two largest manufacturers of private jets say sales in the Middle East are suffering because of the conflict.
During their most recent earnings calls, Bombardier said orders in the region were on pause, while Gulfstream’s parent company General Dynamics said transactions slowed due to geopolitical uncertainty and customer concerns.
Still, overall sales are surging on the back of strong bookings in the US. BLOOMBERG
