When US and Israeli forces struck Iran on February 28, 2026, the Gulf's commercial aviation network nearly collapsed overnight. Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad temporarily suspended operations, forcing passengers to seek alternative arrangements. Private jets quickly became one of the only dependable options, and prices reflected that shift almost immediately.

According to CNN, a group of twelve passengers flying from Muscat to Istanbul paid $145,000 for the trip, more than double the pre-conflict rate for the same route. Charter demand, according to Mayfair Jets chairman Ahmed Elhawary, surged between 200% and 300% within days of hostilities beginning.

More than a month after the onset of the crisis, flight tracking data captured at DWC on 8 April showed the airport continuing to see a varied business aviation mix, albeit in smaller numbers than usual: a San Marino-registered Gulfstream G450, a FlyAlliance Gulfstream IV, and an Embraer Lineage 1000 — one of the largest purpose-built private jets in commercial service — all recorded within 72 hours, when there would typically be at least a dozen movements during peacetime.

The busiest BizAv routes out of DWC ran to Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Karachi. With 416 total movements recorded over seven days, which is considerably more than other notable HNWI hubs like Paris-LBG, which sees an average of 32 daily movements. It is possible that this number does not reflect the true picture, however, as GPS jamming has made accurate readings challenging for services like FlightRadar24.

A Market That Was Already Popular Before the War

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