To Fly or Not to Risk: Aviasales Begins Hiding Flights Through the Middle East

Aviasales has quietly added a new feature that now looks as relevant as possible: a filter has appeared in the search that allows you to completely remove routes through the Middle East.

If you toggle the slider, transfers through the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and other key hubs through which most flights usually pass disappear from the search results.

The function did not appear by chance. Since the end of February, the sky over the region has begun to "close" in parts: a number of countries have completely restricted flights, others have partially restricted them. The main transit points, such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, were hit - flights began to be massively canceled and postponed there.

As a result, the usual flight logic has been broken. If earlier the "Moscow — Dubai — Asia" route was considered basic, now such options can suddenly turn into a chain of postponements, waiting, and unpredictable transfers.

At the same time, the region is not completely closed: transit is still possible, some flights continue to operate, and airlines are rebuilding routes. But there is no stability - the schedule changes almost in real time.

Against this background, the new filter is no longer just a convenience, but a way to exclude risky options in advance. In fact, the user chooses: to take risks with transfers through the Middle East or immediately look for more reliable routes - through Turkey, Asia, and other destinations.

At the same time, airlines are introducing flexible conditions: they offer free exchanges, refunds, and alternative routes. But there is a nuance - if you cancel the ticket yourself before the official status of the flight, you may not be able to get your money back.

As a result, the choice becomes easier: either hope that the transfer will go smoothly, or immediately remove such routes from the search and reduce risks even at the stage of purchasing a ticket.