Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, and flydubai adjust Bahrain and Kuwait flights from the UAE

Disruption overview

On 18 August 2026, UAE carriers including Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, and flydubai were still changing some schedules between Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Bahrain, and Kuwait as regional conflict and security risks continued to affect Gulf airspace. Emirates restored 1 Dubai–Bahrain service but kept 2 others canceled, Etihad cut 3 Bahrain return services through at least 21 August 2026, and Air Arabia listed fresh Kuwait and Bahrain cancellations, while flydubai told passengers to reconfirm departures. For routes covered by EC 261, compensation is usually unlikely because the disruption is tied to a wider security crisis outside the airline's control, but airlines should still offer rebooking or refunds and care during longer delays.

Get flight compensation

Check if the airline owes you money for your delayed or canceled flight

Disruption details

UAE-based carriers including Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, and flydubai were still adjusting schedules on 18 August 2026, with disruption centered on Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi International Airport, and Sharjah International Airport. Flights between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and parts of Saudi Arabia were among those affected as regional security risks continued.

For passengers, this means plans can still change at short notice. If you're flying from the UAE, the main airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah are advising travelers to arrive 3 to 4 hours before departure and be ready for late schedule updates, while immigration and airport teams increase staffing after the summer peak.

Key airline changes on 18 August 2026 include:

• Emirates has restored 1 of its 3 daily Dubai–Bahrain services, but EK835 and EK837 remain canceled. The afternoon EK839 departure is scheduled, while some Dubai–Kuwait services will only be confirmed 24 hours before departure.

• Etihad Airways is operating Bahrain flights EY643 and EY644 as normal, but 3 other Bahrain return services, EY641/642, EY645/646, and EY647/648, are canceled through at least 21 August 2026. Abu Dhabi–Kuwait flights EY653 and EY654 are still running.

• Air Arabia has listed fresh cancellations on Abu Dhabi–Kuwait, Sharjah–Kuwait, and Sharjah–Bahrain routes, including 3L020, G9068, G9124, G9107, and G9108.

• flydubai says most of its Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia network is still operating, but passengers should reconfirm departures. Flight FZ909 from Dubai to Jeddah was delayed at the time of publication.

Bahrain and Kuwait are the clearest pressure points, but Saudi Arabia routes are also being watched closely. Even where flights are still operating, the latest updates show that delays and schedule tweaks can still happen during the day.

Additional cancellations on 18 August 2026 included flynas flight XY812 from Dubai to Dammam and Airblue flight PIA217 from Dubai to Islamabad. That underlines how broad the disruption remains across the UAE market, even beyond the 4 main local carriers.

The wider picture across the region is still unsettled. Air Canada now plans to stay out of Dubai until mid-January 2027, British Airways has extended suspensions affecting Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain, and Amman until 25 October 2026, and Singapore Airlines is not due back in Dubai before 24 October 2026.

KLM has paused Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam flights until 6 September 2026 while avoiding Iranian, Iraqi, and Israeli airspace. Lufthansa Group airlines are also staying away from Dubai until at least 13 September 2026, with broader regional suspensions running to 24 October 2026. Air France, Scoot, Turkish Airlines, and Philippine Airlines still have partial suspensions in place as well.

Airlines are linking these changes to the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the security risks around regional airspace, especially near the Strait of Hormuz. In practice, that means carriers are having to balance demand with fast-moving operational and safety decisions, and passengers may see schedules change more than once before departure.

If you're booked on one of the affected routes, it's worth checking your airline's app or official alerts before you leave for the airport. Some carriers are already offering support, including Emirates change-fee waivers for eligible tickets and Etihad re-accommodation for disrupted passengers.

For routes covered by EC 261, compensation is usually unlikely here because the disruption stems from a wider security crisis outside the airline's control. Even so, your airline should still help if your journey is disrupted, including rerouting or a refund after a cancellation, food and refreshments during longer waits, hotel accommodation plus transport if you're stranded overnight, and help communicating if the delay drags on.

Although compensation is unlikely in this situation, that doesn't mean you're without support. If you want to understand what applies to your flight, or check whether any compensation rules could still help in your case, AirHelp's free flight checker is a simple place to start.

Protect your future trips with AirHelp+

Secure your flights, luggage and get lounge access