China-Middle East freight flights have recovered to 80%, with the regional cargo network undergoing rapid restructuring | Going Global · Logistics

** Caixin.com ** The freight flights between China and the Middle East have now recovered to 80%.

According to data provided by FlightAware on March 15, from March 8 to 14, the actual number of freight flights at Middle Eastern airports was 2,192, only 64.6% of the normal weekly 3,392 flights from February 21 to 27. Among them, the flights between mainland China and the Middle East have recovered to 80.6% of the normal weekly volume, a higher recovery rate than the global average.

On February 28, the conflict between the US and Iran led to widespread closure of Middle Eastern airspace, causing many passenger and cargo flights to reroute or be canceled. As of now, many Middle Eastern countries’ airspace remains fully closed, with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, two major transit hubs, allowing some flights to pass through. (See “Caixin Weekly” Issue 9, 2026, “Cover Report Two | The ‘Middle East Oil Valve’ Strait of Hormuz Crisis: A Global Supply Chain and Trade Investment Concern”)