Bahrain became the first Gulf nation to fully restore civilian air traffic on Wednesday after its Civil Aviation Affairs authority lifted a closure that had kept the kingdom’s skies shut for nearly six weeks.
The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications’ civil aviation body said it was committed to ensuring normal air traffic operations resumed across the kingdom. Bahrain had grounded all flights on February 28, 2026, the day regional hostilities broke out.
The reopening coincided with the entry into force of a 14-day ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran — a truce backed by President Donald Trump and Tehran that requires Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an immediate halt to fighting.
Whether the truce holds remains uncertain. Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday ranked among the heaviest since the war began, killing dozens and wounding hundreds — attacks that observers say have put the fragile agreement under immediate strain.
