Cathay Cargo has joined Cargolux in delaying the resumption of freighter operations to the Middle East following renewed hostilities between the US and Iran.
The Hong Kong-based carrier confirmed it has postponed the restart of both passenger and cargo services to the region due to the latest security developments.
“Cathay Cargo’s freighter service resumption to Riyadh will be postponed from the originally planned 1 August date,” the airline said. “Cathay Cargo will continue to review the timing for restarting the service.”
The carrier added that it would continue to closely monitor the evolving situation across the Middle East before making further decisions on its network plans.
Cathay Cargo had announced in early July that it intended to restart flights to Riyadh after suspending its Middle East operations in March following the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict.
Cargolux has also postponed the planned return of its freighter services to Dubai World Central, with the airline confirming the restart will not take place until further notice.
The Luxembourg-based cargo carrier halted its Middle East operations in early March as regional tensions escalated. While services to Muscat have continued, flights to Kuwait, Dammam, Bahrain, Riyadh and Doha remain suspended.
The latest delays follow a renewed escalation in the US-Iran conflict, with a ceasefire breaking down on 8 July after Iran reportedly targeted commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Further exchanges of missile strikes and air attacks have since followed.
Despite the disruption, air cargo capacity into the region has continued to recover. Data from consultancy Rotate shows that cargo capacity from the Middle East to Europe during the first four days of this week increased by 10% compared with the same period at the end of June.
Capacity from Asia to the Middle East also recorded growth, rising 5% over the same comparison period.
While airlines continue to rebuild capacity across the region, ongoing geopolitical uncertainty is forcing carriers to take a cautious approach to restarting suspended routes.