Countries affected and key logistics dates

The Feast of Sacrifice, also known as Eid al-Adha, affects customs operations and air freight capacity from Turkey, North Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia from late May to early June 2026. Supply chain teams should expect longer processing times and reduced transport availability on certain routes.

In Turkey, Eid al-Adha leads to an official 9-day holiday period from Saturday 23 May to Sunday 31 May 2026. While the core religious dates are 27–30 May, the government-mandated bridge days mean that most administrative and logistics operations will be at a complete standstill for the full week.

In Tunisia and Morocco, the main holiday period runs from 27 to 28 May. For the UAE and Egypt, the holiday period is more extensive, spanning from 26 to 29 May. In India (home to the world’s third-largest Muslim population), Malaysia, and Singapore, the holiday is observed on 27 May. Please note that exact dates may vary slightly from one country to another depending on moon sightings and official local announcements.

These dates can directly affect export planning, customs clearance, pickup organisation and final delivery lead times.

Key dates by country

Operational slowdowns during the holiday period

Many companies reduce working hours or close for several days during Eid al-Adha. This situation slows down order processing, warehouse operations, road transport availability and customs activities. For urgent shipments, the main issue is often not a complete operational shutdown, but rather a gradual slowdown that can begin as early as 22 May and continue until the first week of June while accumulated delays are progressively absorbed.
A shipment that appears manageable on paper may still face delays if a local office, customs service or transport partner operates with reduced staffing levels.

Europe: road transport constraints in May and June

In Europe, the June holiday calendar also affects transport capacity immediately after the Feast of Sacrifice.
Whit Monday on 25 May 2026, together with other June public holidays such as Corpus Christi on 4 June 2026, reduces road transport availability across several European countries. Sunday and public holiday driving bans in Germany, Austria and Poland limit flexibility for urgent road transport operations. The combination of extended holidays in Turkey and European religious holidays significantly increases cross-border lead times, especially when road transport forms part of a multimodal supply chain.

When urgent shipments need priority

If you need to move essential shipments during this period, early planning is the best way to protect your timeline. In practice, this often means moving critical freight before the holiday period starts or preparing a fast alternative for the first available departure after the holiday.
Air Time Critical® supports urgent shipments with solutions such as:

• Priority air freight for boxes or pallets that need fast international delivery.
• On board courier (OBC) for hand-carry shipments with direct control.
• Air charter for extra urgent cargo transported on private planes within Europe.

These tailored urgent air freight services help maintain supply chain continuity when standard transport networks become saturated and less predictable.

Maintaining supply chain continuity during Eid al-Adha

The Feast of Sacrifice is a known seasonal logistics peak rather than an unexpected disruption. However, reduced operational capacity during this period can still affect urgent shipments and cross-border flows.

Supply chain managers, logistics coordinators and procurement teams can reduce operational risks by closely monitoring local holiday calendars, supplier operational schedules and transport availability during this sensitive period.

Our team remains available 24/7 to help identify the most suitable urgent air freight solution for your shipment and maintain continuity for critical logistics flows during Eid al-Adha.

Contact our team via:

📞 +32 2 888 84 16 (ENG/FR)