air-cargo

Cathay Cargo Delays Middle East Freighter Restart Amid Regional Tensions

Cathay Cargo postponed its planned resumption of freighter operations to the Middle East following escalating hostilities between the US and Iran. The Hong Kong carrier had scheduled a return to Riyadh service on August 1 but shelved those plans indefinitely. Cargolux similarly suspended its restart to Dubai World Central, though the carrier maintains service to Muscat while keeping routes to Kuwait, Dammam, Bahrain, Riyadh and Doha suspended. Both airlines initially halted Middle East operations in March when fighting erupted. A ceasefire collapsed on July 8 when Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering successive rounds of airstrikes and missile exchanges. Despite security concerns, cargo capacity recovered during July. Capacity from the Middle East to Europe rose 10% in early July compared to late June, while Asia-to-Middle East capacity climbed 5% over the same periods.