UAE flights face fresh changes as Emirates, Etihad and regional carriers adjust schedules
International airlines stagger return as Dubai suspensions continue
DUBAI – UAE travellers face another day of changing flight schedules on Saturday, with cancellations and revised departure times reported across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports.
Several Air Arabia and flydubai services have been cancelled, particularly on routes connecting the UAE with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Emirates and Etihad Airways continue to operate scheduled services, although some individual flights are showing revised timings.
The latest changes come as regional security conditions continue to affect aviation schedules. However, passengers should not automatically assume that every delay or cancellation is linked to the wider regional situation, as individual services can also be affected by operational or technical issues.
Travellers flying from Dubai International Airport (DXB), Zayed International Airport (AUH) or Sharjah International Airport should check their individual booking directly with the operating airline before leaving for the airport.
Emirates
Emirates services from Dubai are continuing, although several flights are operating with revised departure times.
EK188 from Dubai to Barcelona was revised from 6:35am to 7:17am, while EK637 to Peshawar moved from 11:15am to 11:55am. EK541 to Ahmedabad was revised from 11:10am to 12:16pm and EK613 to Islamabad from 11:35am to 12:21pm.
EK511 to New Delhi was revised from 1pm to 1:41pm, while EK375 to Bangkok moved to 1:57pm. The airline has advised passengers to check the latest flight information before travelling.
Etihad Airways
Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi are also operating, with several services showing revised departure times.
EY353 from Abu Dhabi to Hyderabad was revised from 6:40am to 7:44am, while EY233 to Bengaluru moved from 7am to 7:54am. EY303 to Islamabad was also revised, from 7:10am to 7:59am.
Air Arabia and Etihad codeshare services have also been affected by timing changes. Flight 3L112/EY1357 from Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad was revised from 7:50am to 9:22am, while 3L201/EY1685 to Calicut moved from 7:50am to 8:56am.
Travellers should check the latest departure information before making their way to Zayed International Airport.
flydubai
flydubai has several cancellations from Dubai on Saturday, particularly on services to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
FZ023 and FZ024 between Dubai and Bahrain have been cancelled. FZ815 and FZ816 between Dubai and Abha, as well as FZ817 and FZ818 between Dubai and Yanbu, have also been cancelled.
Several other flydubai flights are operating but with revised timings. FZ1750 to Belgrade moved from 7:15am to 7:52am, while FZ988 to Moscow Vnukovo changed from 8:45am to 10:10am.
FZ1736 to Almaty was revised from 8:40am to 10:44am, while FZ1716 to Minsk moved from 10:05am to 11:57am. FZ966 to Moscow Vnukovo was also revised from 9:55am to 12:56pm.
flydubai passengers should check the airline's latest notification before travelling. The airline advises that its check-in counters close 60 minutes before scheduled departure unless passengers are told otherwise by SMS or email.
Air Arabia
Air Arabia is reporting cancellations across services from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
From Abu Dhabi, flight 3L020 to Kuwait and return service 3L021 have been cancelled. Flights 3L022 to Kuwait and 3L023 to Abu Dhabi had not departed in the latest update.
Bahrain services 3L015 and 3L017 from Abu Dhabi, along with return flights 3L016 and 3L018, had not departed at the time of the update.
Sharjah is also seeing significant changes. G9195 and G9196 between Sharjah and Abha have been cancelled, while G9068 and G9124 to Kuwait, along with G9069 and G9125 on the return route, have also been cancelled.
Several Bahrain services remain listed as not yet departed, including G9101, G9103 and G9105 from Sharjah and G9102, G9104 and G9106 from Bahrain.
Passengers travelling on Air Arabia should verify their flight directly with the airline before leaving for Sharjah or Abu Dhabi airport.
Dubai airport
Alongside flydubai cancellations, SpiceJet flight SG5113 from Dubai to Mumbai has also been cancelled.
Several other flights from DXB are operating with revised departure times. These include Kenya Airways KQ304 to Nairobi, which moved from 5:25am to 9:17am, and Emirates EK613 to Islamabad, revised from 11:35am to 12:21pm.
SpiceJet's cancellation has affected UAE travellers, with Delhi Airport saying its teams were coordinating with the airline and other stakeholders to assist passengers.
International airlines
The wider recovery of international services to the UAE remains staggered.
British Airways plans to resume Dubai flights from November 4, initially with one daily winter service before increasing to two daily flights in summer. Its Abu Dhabi services are not expected to return until the winter 2027-28 season.
Wizz Air is preparing to resume Dubai flights from October 25 and Abu Dhabi services from October 27, while Air Astana plans to restart Dubai services from Almaty on October 1 and Astana on October 2.
Several airlines, however, continue to suspend Dubai operations. Lufthansa, Eurowings, SWISS, Singapore Airlines, KLM, ITA Airways and AirBaltic have Dubai suspensions extending through October 24. Air Canada has pushed its Dubai return to mid-January 2027, while Virgin Atlantic has postponed its Dubai service to October 2027.
Turkish Airlines has resumed Dubai and Abu Dhabi services, although flights to Tehran remain suspended.
What travellers should do
Passengers should check their individual flight directly with the airline before leaving home, even if their booking was previously confirmed. Flight schedules can change at short notice, and the latest airport departure board may differ from an earlier schedule.
Travellers should also complete online check-in where available, keep their contact details updated with the airline and allow sufficient time at the airport.
The UAE aviation sector is continuing to rebuild capacity. Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said DXB airline capacity had recovered to about 84% of previous levels, while passenger volumes were at 78%. Emirates was operating at around 93% of pre-disruption capacity in July and August, while flydubai expects to restore 100% of its network capacity, potentially exceeding it, by the end of 2026.
For now, travellers should rely on their airline's latest notification for their specific flight, rather than assuming that all services on a particular route are operating or cancelled.