UAE flight update: Etihad, Emirates, Air Arabia and flydubai adjust schedules amid Jakarta cancellations
Several international carriers have also extended Dubai and Abu Dhabi suspensions
DUBAI – UAE travellers are facing another day of mixed flight operations, with cancellations and delays affecting services from both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Etihad Airways is operating most flights to Bahrain and Kuwait, while several services have been delayed, and Air Arabia has cancelled a number of Bahrain and Kuwait flights. Emirates is operating selected services to the two Gulf destinations, although some international flights have also been delayed.
The situation is further complicated by the continuing disruption to flights between the UAE and Indonesia following the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau. Emirates has cancelled three Jakarta flights on September 8 despite the reopening of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, while Etihad's Jakarta operation is recovering following earlier cancellations and delays.
Separately, a number of international airlines continue to suspend or restrict services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. These disruptions do not all have the same cause. Some are linked to the wider regional security situation, while others are the result of operational, technical or weather-related issues.
Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways said services between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and Kuwait were mostly operating normally on Tuesday, with no major conflict-related cancellations reported on those routes. EY653 to Kuwait departed late.
Several Etihad services were nevertheless delayed, including flights involving Karachi, Amsterdam, Bangalore, Manchester, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Islamabad, Boston, Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai, Riyadh, Bangkok and Jakarta.
The Jakarta route remains affected by the volcanic ash disruption. Etihad previously cancelled EY474 from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta after Soekarno-Hatta closed because of the eruption. The return EY475 from Jakarta was subsequently delayed. The airline's flight information indicates that operations are now being progressively restored.
Emirates
Emirates is operating selected services between Dubai and Bahrain, with EK837 having departed and EK839 scheduled. EK857 from Dubai to Kuwait was also scheduled. Several other Emirates services experienced delays, including flights to Perth, Montreal, Kolkata, Newcastle and London Gatwick.
Jakarta remains the most significant Emirates disruption on Tuesday. EK356 from Dubai to Jakarta was cancelled, while EK357 and EK359 from Jakarta to Dubai were also cancelled. Emirates' official disruption notice records cancellations on September 6, September 7 and September 8 because of the temporary closure of Soekarno-Hatta caused by volcanic ash.
Air Arabia
Air Arabia cancelled G9068 and G9124 from Sharjah to Kuwait and G9107 from Sharjah to Bahrain. From Abu Dhabi, 3L020 to Kuwait was cancelled, while 3L015 to Bahrain had a revised flight time and 3L017 was yet to depart.
Several Air Arabia Abu Dhabi flights from Zayed International Airport were also listed as delayed, including services to Cairo, Calicut, Chennai, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Sialkot, Multan, Bahrain, Yerevan, Tbilisi and Almaty.
flydubai
flydubai continued operating selected Bahrain and Kuwait services. FZ029 and FZ023 to Bahrain had arrived, while FZ021 to Bahrain and FZ063 to Kuwait were scheduled. The airline has advised passengers departing Dubai to allow at least four hours before departure, complete online check-in where available and check their flight status.
Other cancellations from Dubai included SpiceJet SG5014 to Mumbai, flydubai FZ8563 to Moscow, Airblue PA811 to Multan and Iraq Airways IA120 to Kirkuk. Kenya Airways KQ305 to Nairobi and SpiceJet SG5016 to New Delhi and SG5023 to Mumbai were delayed.
International schedules
A number of foreign carriers continue to operate reduced or suspended Dubai and Abu Dhabi schedules.
Air France has extended its suspension of Dubai flights through September 10, citing the evolving security situation. Its Riyadh and Tel Aviv services have resumed, while Beirut flights remain suspended through September 24.
British Airways continues to suspend Dubai and Abu Dhabi services, with Dubai flights scheduled to resume on October 25 at reduced frequency. Singapore Airlines has suspended Singapore-Dubai services until October 24, while ITA Airways and Finnair have also suspended Dubai operations until the same date.
Air Canada has suspended Dubai services until mid-January 2027. Cathay Pacific has cancelled Dubai and Riyadh passenger flights through November 30, with affected passengers able to rebook, reroute or seek refunds.
KLM continues to avoid the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Israel, as well as parts of the Arabian Gulf. Its flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai remain suspended through October 24.
AirBaltic has also suspended Dubai services until October 24, while Philippine Airlines' Manila-Dubai flights remain suspended until October 2. Korean Air's Incheon-Dubai service remains suspended until further notice. Pegasus has suspended flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, while Virgin Atlantic continues to suspend London-Dubai flights for the foreseeable future.
The Lufthansa Group, including Lufthansa, Eurowings and SWISS, is operating a mixed Middle East schedule. Services to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Dammam and Muscat remain suspended through October 24, while Lufthansa plans to resume Frankfurt-Riyadh flights on September 10.
Other carriers have restored portions of their UAE networks. Turkish Airlines has resumed Dubai and Abu Dhabi services, although flights to Iran remain suspended. Qatar Airways is operating multiple daily flights to Dubai, while services to Bahrain, Kuwait and Erbil have resumed, with delays still possible.
Air India and Air India Express have restored their full Gulf network, together operating around 780 weekly flights between India and the region. IndiGo is operating selected Middle East services, while flynas is operating daily flights to Dubai, Doha and Bahrain.
Jazeera Airways has resumed selected services, including flights to Dubai, although intermittent closures of Kuwait International Airport and its airspace could cause further disruption.
Travel checks
The wider regional situation continues to affect airline schedules. The UK has lifted its broad warning against all but essential travel for major regional hubs including the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, while continuing to warn that conditions remain unpredictable and flight delays or sudden airspace changes are possible.
The US has placed the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman at Level 3, or "Reconsider Travel", citing risks linked to armed conflict, drone and missile interceptions and significant commercial flight disruption. Australia has downgraded its UAE advice from Level 4 to Level 3, while Canada continues to advise travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
For UAE passengers, the immediate priority remains the individual flight status rather than the general status of an airline's network. A route may be operating while a particular flight is delayed or cancelled.
Passengers should check the airline's website or app before leaving for the airport and allow additional time for check-in, security and immigration. Travellers flying from Dubai on flydubai have specifically been advised to allow at least four hours before departure and to complete online check-in where available.