Emirates and Etihad cancellations among 95 disrupted UAE flights

Disruption overview

Passengers traveling through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah faced cancellations and delays affecting 95 flights on 4 November 2026, with Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, and Air Arabia among the airlines issuing updates. Etihad's Abu Dhabi–Dammam and Abu Dhabi–Riyadh services remain suspended through 19 November, while selected Jeddah flights are due to return from 6 November. If you're traveling, check directly with your airline before heading to the airport, as services vary by route. Compensation is unlikely for disruption caused by regional tensions and airspace restrictions, but passengers on covered flights may still have rights to refunds, rebooking, and care during their wait.

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Disruption details

Emirates, Etihad Airways, and other airlines faced cancellations and delays across the United Arab Emirates on 4 November 2026, with 95 flights affected as regional tensions continued to disrupt services. Operations at Dubai International Airport and Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi remained mixed, while cancellations also affected flights from Sharjah.

For passengers, this meant longer waits, canceled journeys, and changing schedules ahead of the winter travel rush. If you're flying from or through the UAE, check your flight's status directly with your airline before leaving for the airport and allow extra time.

Saudi Arabia routes were a particular focus of the disruption. Etihad Airways extended its suspension of flights between Abu Dhabi and both Dammam and Riyadh through 19 November 2026. All passenger and cargo services on those routes remain canceled during that period.

Selected Etihad flights between Abu Dhabi and Jeddah are due to resume from 6 November 2026. That planned restart doesn't cover the suspended Dammam and Riyadh services, and schedules remain subject to change as the regional situation develops.

Emirates also canceled services on several routes between Dubai and Saudi Arabia, particularly Dammam and Riyadh. Jeddah services showed a mix of flight statuses, while Medina services were listed as scheduled or arrived. flydubai continued to operate selected Saudi services.

At Dubai International Airport, both arriving and departing passengers faced disruption. Delayed arrivals included several SpiceJet flights from Mumbai, New Delhi, and Ahmedabad, alongside services operated by flydubai, My Freighter Airlines, and US-Bangla Airlines.

Canceled arrivals included Riyadh Air, flynas, and Air Sial services. On the departure board, SpiceJet and US-Bangla Airlines flights experienced delays, while flynas and Air Sial departures were canceled.

At Zayed International Airport, arriving flights from Goa, Tel Aviv, Charlotte, Kathmandu, and Lisbon were delayed. No departure delays were listed at the time of the update, so the picture differed between incoming and outgoing services.

Cancellations extended beyond the main Saudi routes. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi listed canceled services from Abu Dhabi, while Air Arabia and Fly Jinnah listed cancellations from Sharjah. Across those airlines, affected destinations included:

• Baku, Cairo, Amman, Almaty, and Kuwait

• Colombo, Chattogram, Dhaka, Islamabad, and Lahore

• Nairobi, Malé, Krakow, Doha, and London Gatwick

• Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Abha, Riyadh, and Damascus

• Bangkok and Entebbe

Air India Express was also among the airlines affected by the wider disruption. Meanwhile, Emirates–flydubai codeshare flights to Tel Aviv remain suspended until further notice.

International airlines are gradually returning ahead of the winter rush, but regional tensions and airspace restrictions continue to affect operations. A resumption on 1 route doesn't mean all services have restarted, so check the status of your specific flight rather than relying on a broader airline update.

Compensation is unlikely for disruption caused by these regional tensions and airspace restrictions because they're outside the airline's control. However, that doesn't mean you're without support: passengers on flights covered by EU rules, EC 261, or UK rules, UK 261, may still have rights to refunds, rebooking, and care.

If your flight is canceled, ask your airline about an alternative journey or a refund if you no longer wish to travel. Depending on your flight and circumstances, care during a long wait may include food, refreshments, and overnight accommodation with transportation. AirHelp's free flight checker can help you understand whether compensation could apply to your particular disruption.

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Information on this page is AI generated, but always checked by a (human) passenger right expert.