Stay Updated on Middle East Logistics
Return here for Marken updates on Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and other affected countries during the ongoing crisis. We'll keep you connected with the latest developments as the situation evolves.
Update: 2 March
Marken, UPS Healthcare Precision Logistics, continues to closely monitor the evolving situation across the Middle East, where airspace closures, flight suspensions, and regional disruptions are impacting regional and international supply chain logistics.
Desarrollos clave
Airline & Airspace
- Qatar Airways operations remain suspended due to Qatari airspace closure. Resumption awaits Qatar Civil Aviation Authority's safe reopening announcement. Next update: 3 March.
- Emirates and flydubai have extended cancellations through Tuesday, 3 March, suspending all Dubai flights due to regional airspace closures. Situation dynamic - check emirates.com for updates.
- Etihad limited window: Brief outbound activity from Abu Dhabi earlier today; now closed.
- Regional NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions) extended (e.g., Jordan daily closures to March 5; Iranian airspace to ~March 3); carriers like Lufthansa avoiding UAE/Saudi airspace into early March.
- Closed airspaces: Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Syria, Iran, Yemen (restricted).
- Partially open but disrupted: Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Turkiye, Cyprus, Egypt; land borders critical for evacuations.
Country Level Impacts
- Israel (Closed): Airspace restrictions ongoing with limited civilian flights to select European destinations (availability/confirmation on booking). Collections resuming March 3; land borders with Jordan/Egypt as primary alternatives.
- Jordan (Open/Limited): Royal Jordanian offering select routes to European hubs (expect extended transit times/delays). Land border to Riyadh serves as key exit gateway for onward connections.
- Kuwait (Closed): Airspace/airport suspended; low/zero impact currently.
- Saudi Arabia (Open): Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam airports operational. Saudi Airlines offering limited exports. No transit via Dubai/Doha/Abu Dhabi/Bahrain (EK/QA/EY suspended); overland access viable with advance visas; capacity strained from lost transit carriers.
- Lebanon (Open/Limited): Beirut airport technically open but heavy flight cancellations; fewer carriers overall. Sea/land routes to Cyprus available as alternatives.
- Egypt (Open): Normal operations continuing. Longer transit times expected via local or European routing options.
- UAE (Partially Closed): Dubai/Abu Dhabi airports disrupted; airspace/carrier issues blocking transits; pharma shipments safely stored with partners. Muscat (Oman) emerging as land evacuation hub via Hatta border.
- Qatar (Closed): Hamad airport limited to humanitarian/state flights only. Land exit to Saudi Arabia required; pharma shipments in secure storage.
- Oman (Open): Oman Air operational (limited); QR/EK/EY restricted. Low impact, near-normal operations.
Marken’s Ongoing Response
Nuestra máxima prioridad sigue siendo mantener la confiabilidad del servicio y proteger la integridad de la atención médica crítica y los envíos seguros complejos. While we are implementing mitigation strategies, due to the severity of the ongoing situation, we anticipate potential delays for shipments routed through impacted zones.
En respuesta a esta situación, Marken ha tomado las siguientes medidas proactivas:
- Actively coordinating with origin branches, agents and airlines for shipment recovery, storage and re-icing.
- Leveraging alternative routings/carriers for time/temperature-sensitive shipments, noting potential TAT extensions.
- Maintaining daily communication with partners and customers on routing, collections and constraints.
Estamos aquí para apoyarte
Marken remains your trusted partner, leveraging a resilient, self-healing network and proven mitigation strategies to protect critical healthcare shipments through this period of disruption.
If you are experiencing any issues related to this situation, please contact your local Marken branch or business professional. For additional information on our capabilities, please email info@marken.com.
This situation remains fluid, and we will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.
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Update: 1 March
Marken, UPS Healthcare Precision Logistics, continues to closely monitor the evolving situation across the Middle East, where airspace closures, flight suspensions, and regional disruptions are impacting regional and international supply chain logistics.
Desarrollos clave
Airline & Airspace
- Multiple global carriers have temporarily suspended flights to and from key Middle East destinations, including Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
- Major transit hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are heavily impacted, with leading carriers pausing operations and Qatari airspace currently closed.
- Additional carriers in Europe and Asia have suspended services or are avoiding Middle East airspace, reducing available capacity and routing options.
Country Level Impacts
- Israel: Operations remain severely constrained, with collections widely postponed or cancelled and very limited export/import options dependent on any ad hoc national carrier flights.
- Jordan: Royal Jordanian continues to operate selected routes, providing limited uplift via European hubs, though extended transit times (TAT) should be expected.
- Saudi Arabia: Country remains operational, but loss of key transit carriers requires use of alternative airlines, resulting in constrained capacity and potential TAT impacts.
- Lebanon & Egypt: Operations are ongoing with reduced carrier options; exports/imports are possible via remaining local and European airlines, with longer TAT anticipated.
- UAE & Qatar: Airspace closures and carrier suspensions are causing significant disruption to transit shipments routed via Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha; storage and handling for in-transit pharma shipments are being closely managed with partners.
Marken’s Ongoing Response
Nuestra máxima prioridad sigue siendo mantener la confiabilidad del servicio y proteger la integridad de la atención médica crítica y los envíos seguros complejos. While we are implementing mitigation strategies, due to the severity of the ongoing situation, we anticipate potential delays for shipments routed through impacted zones.
En respuesta a esta situación, Marken ha tomado las siguientes medidas proactivas:
- Actively coordinating with origin branches, agents and airline partners to recover shipments at origin where possible and to secure appropriate storage and re-icing for shipments in transit.
- Leveraging alternative routings and carriers where available to maintain movement of critical, time- and temperature-sensitive shipments, acknowledging potential TAT extensions.
- Maintaining daily communication with regional partners and customers to align on routing options, collection planning and local site constraints.
Estamos aquí para apoyarte
Marken remains your trusted partner, leveraging a resilient, self-healing network and proven mitigation strategies to protect critical healthcare shipments through this period of disruption.
If you are experiencing any issues related to this situation, please contact your local Marken branch or business professional. For additional information on our capabilities, please email info@marken.com.
This situation remains fluid, and we will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.
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Update: 28 February
Marken, UPS Healthcare Precision Logistics, is actively monitoring the evolving developments in the Middle East, specifically Israel, Jordan and Lebanon, where airspace closures, flight suspensions, and regional disruptions are impacting regional and international supply chain logistics.
Impactos en la cadena de suministro y nuestra respuesta
Nuestra máxima prioridad sigue siendo mantener la confiabilidad del servicio y proteger la integridad de la atención médica crítica y los envíos seguros complejos. While we are implementing mitigation strategies, due to the severity of the ongoing situation, we anticipate potential delays for shipments routed through impacted zones.
Desarrollos clave
Israel:
- TLV airport fully closed through Monday—total inbound/outbound flight shutdown
- Hospitals under emergency protocols with patients shifted to underground facilities
- Government cargo terminals and customs operating in contingency mode
Lebanon:
- Regional airspace restrictions driving broad flight disruptions
- Major carriers suspending Beirut services
- Airport operations severely reduced; minimal inbound/outbound flights
- Cargo/logistics flows severely constrained
Jordan:
- Regional airspace restrictions triggering broad flight disruptions
- Major carriers suspending Amman services
- Airport operations reduced; some local flights persisting
- Cargo/logistics flows significantly constrained
En respuesta a esta situación, Marken ha tomado las siguientes medidas proactivas:
- Activated contingency planning protocols and business continuity measures to enable rerouting options and adjusted pickups.
- Engaged closely with airline, ground and logistics partners to monitor schedules and secure capacity through alternate routes.
- Deployed rapid-response escalation teams to help ensure end-to-end visibility and protect time- and temperature-sensitive shipments.
- Increased regional communication channels to deliver timely updates and proactive support to clients, partners and stakeholders.
Estamos aquí para apoyarte
Marken es tu socio de confianza —con nuestra propia red de auto-reparación— para proteger envíos críticos y sensibles al tiempo mediante estrategias de mitigación probadas que garantizan la resiliencia de la cadena de suministro.
Si tiene algún problema debido a esta situación fluida, comuníquese con su sucursal local de Marken o con un profesional de negocios. For additional information on our capabilities, please email us at info@marken.com.
Esta situación es fluida y proporcionaremos actualizaciones a medida que estén disponibles.
