The flights of UAE: Emirates, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia on 10 August declined services to Gulf region flights due to regional security concerns. Other flights face delays and longer routes.
The recent amendments apply to flights to Bahrain, Kuwait and many other places, with some international carriers extending their cancellations in the United Arab Emirates. While a great number of flights keep flying, people are recommended to enquire about the flight status before going to the airport, as there may be sudden alterations to the schedule.
Flights of Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport and Bahrain have been discontinued due to certain operations. Additionally, Etihad Airways’ flights EY653 and EY654 between Abu Dhabi and Kuwait have been suspended.
Emirates has suspended Dubai-Bahrain and Dubai-Kuwait services. Flight EK141 from Dubai to Madrid has been delayed, while weather associated with Typhoon Dolphin has caused further disruption to flights serving Shanghai and Hangzhou.
Air Arabia has cancelled several services from Sharjah to Kuwait, Bahrain and Doha, along with its Abu Dhabi-Kuwait route. Flydubai’s FZ909 service from Dubai to Jeddah has also been delayed. Air India Express cancelled its Dubai-Kannur flight, while an Airblue service between Dubai and Multan was affected.
Some regional networks are showing signs of recovery. Qatar Airways resumed passenger flights to Bahrain, Kuwait and Erbil on August 8, while Jazeera Airways has restarted services to and from Kuwait.
International carriers continue to take a cautious approach. British Airways has suspended several routes until October 31, while Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Finnair and ITA Airways have extended Dubai suspensions until October 24. Other airlines have announced different restart dates.
Airlines are also using longer routes to avoid parts of regional airspace, adding roughly one to three hours to some journeys. Travellers may additionally face longer connections, baggage delays and last-minute schedule changes.
Passengers flying from the UAE are advised to verify their flight directly with the airline, monitor updates through official apps or websites and allow additional time at the airport.
