Dubai and Abu Dhabi flights face ongoing disruption as airlines extend suspensions

Disruption overview

Flights to and from the United Arab Emirates are facing ongoing changes this summer, with airlines including Singapore Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa Group, Cathay Pacific, Air France, and Philippine Airlines extending suspensions or pushing back resumptions on Dubai and other regional routes. Within the Gulf, lingering security disruption has also affected flights around Abha, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi, while British Airways has kept flexible changes in place for Dubai-bound passengers and India has introduced a new Air Suvidha 2.0 declaration for travelers arriving from the UAE. Because most of the disruption is tied to security conditions and airspace restrictions outside airline control, compensation under EC 261 is unlikely in many cases, but airlines should still provide rerouting or refunds, care, and assistance if your journey is disrupted.

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Disruption details

Flights to and from Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport are still being disrupted in summer 2026, as airlines extend suspensions, rework schedules, and warn passengers about short-notice changes across the United Arab Emirates. For passengers, this means checking your booking carefully before you leave for the airport and preparing for possible cancellations, delays, and reroutings.

Much of the disruption is tied to the unstable security situation in parts of the Middle East, alongside a smaller number of operational problems. Rather than one single shutdown, travelers are facing a patchwork of airline-specific changes, so the impact depends on who you're flying with and where you're going.

Some of the biggest changes now in place include:

• Singapore Airlines has extended its Singapore–Dubai suspension until 24 October, and Air Canada isn't operating Dubai services until the same date.

• Air Astana's UAE flights are paused until 31 July, while KLM has suspended Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam services through 23 August.

• Lufthansa Group is keeping Dubai flights suspended until 13 September, with broader Middle East suspensions lasting until 24 October. Cathay Pacific now plans to resume Dubai and Riyadh services on 3 August.

• Air France continues an open-ended suspension of services to Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut, and Tel Aviv. Philippine Airlines won't relaunch Manila–Dubai flights until 2 October, and IndiGo has canceled several Asian routes plus all Manchester services until at least 30 September.

Within the Gulf, disruption is still being felt after recent missile and drone strikes on Saudi territory. Operations at Abha International Airport have mostly restarted, but some flights operated by flydubai, Qatar Airways, and Saudia are still canceled or could change at short notice.

Bahrain's temporary airspace closure also created knock-on problems for Etihad Airways. Flight EY647 from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain had to turn back, and EY647 and EY648 were later canceled. On a separate route, a technical fault delayed Etihad's Abu Dhabi–Manila service, EY440 and EY441.

Elsewhere, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways, and Jazeera Airways say they're progressively restoring their timetables as regional airspace restrictions ease.

Several airlines are still operating broadly as planned, including Emirates, Air Arabia, flydubai, Qatar Airways, Oman Air, SalamAir, flynas, and British Airways. Even so, they've warned passengers to monitor bookings closely. British Airways has also extended penalty-free changes or cancellations for Dubai-bound customers until 31 October.

Some carriers are adding capacity where they can. Oman Air and SalamAir have scheduled 192 extra Muscat–Salalah flights, creating more than 35,000 additional seats for peak Khareef-season demand.

If you're connecting onward from the UAE, extra paperwork may also apply. India now requires all UAE-origin passengers to complete the Air Suvidha 2.0 digital health declaration within 24 hours of arrival because of the World Health Organization's Ebola emergency declaration for parts of Africa. The UK is also warning travelers that airports and other civilian infrastructure across the Middle East could be targeted with little notice, so it makes sense to keep your plans flexible.

Because most of these disruptions are linked to security conditions and airspace closures outside the airline's control, compensation under EC 261 is unlikely in many cases. That said, your airline should still provide support if your journey is disrupted, including rerouting or a refund, meals and refreshments during long waits, accommodation if you're stranded overnight, and help with communication.

If your flight was affected by a separate operational problem, the situation can be different. A technical issue, like the Etihad delay on EY440 and EY441, may still make it worth checking your rights on an EU-linked itinerary. Although compensation is unlikely for most of the current UAE disruption, that doesn't mean you're without support. You can use AirHelp's free flight checker to understand what may apply to your trip.

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