More Than Transportation: The Changing Role of Gulf Aviation

Gulf aviation has made significant progress in this century. While Gulf countries have achieved success in global recognition through significant advancements in the aviation sector, they have also become dependent on air transport. With the war centered on Iran, which began in February 2026, civilian settlements and airports in the Gulf countries became targets of attacks, disrupting air transport. This study aims to reveal the damage this recent crisis has inflicted on the global image of Gulf countries built through aviation, and to offer strategic policy recommendations by examining the risks created by excessive dependence on air transport. The crisis in the region has shaken the global ‘‘safe haven’’ perception of Gulf aviation; however, this research was conducted because the effects of crises on national image and transportation dependency have not yet been sufficiently examined in the literature. This study examines the impact of the war on the operational processes of Gulf airlines, jet fuel costs, the use of aviation as soft power, and the sectoral dependence of regional countries in transportation, using a qualitative secondary data analysis methodology based on the analysis of data from international aviation, tourism, and economic sector reports and scientific studies from the crisis period. The findings reveal that aviation and soft power strategies, built with billions of dollars in investment, are highly fragile during times of crisis, that Gulf countries are excessively dependent on aviation in transportation and image building, and that increasing costs jeopardize operational sustainability.