Limited UAE flights resume after Gulf-wide cancellations

A small number of flights have restarted in the United Arab Emirates following a full suspension linked to regional conflict and airspace closures. Etihad, Emirates and Flydubai operated limited services while most schedules stayed canceled. Over 2,000 flights were grounded across seven Gulf airports, with more than 80% of Dubai flights and over half of Abu Dhabi flights canceled. Etihad ran at least 15 Abu Dhabi departures and said scheduled services remain halted until 2 pm on Wednesday, 4 March. Emirates and Flydubai also operated select departures and arrivals.

A limited restart of flights is under way in the United Arab Emirates after a full suspension triggered by escalating conflict and widespread regional airspace closures. Airlines including Etihad Airways, Emirates and Flydubai operated select services while most scheduled operations remained canceled.

The scale of disruption remains substantial. More than 80% of flights to and from Dubai were canceled, and over half of flights to and from Abu Dhabi did not operate. Across seven major Gulf airports—Dubai International, Hamad International (Doha), Zayed International (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah, Kuwait International, Bahrain International and Al Maktoum International—over 2,000 flights were grounded.

Etihad operated at least 15 departures from Abu Dhabi, routing flights to Islamabad, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Cairo and London Heathrow. These movements, largely repatriation or repositioning and cargo operations, proceeded under strict coordination with UAE authorities. Etihad confirmed that its scheduled flights remain halted until 2 pm on Wednesday, 4 March (local time).

Emirates began running a limited set of flights on Monday evening, prioritizing customers with earlier bookings and notifying rebooked passengers directly. Dubai Airports permitted a small number of departures from both Dubai International and Al Maktoum International. Confirmed Emirates departures included UAE500 to Mumbai at 6:15 pm CET and UAE542 to Chennai, tracked in real time.

Flydubai recorded a handful of movements, with four departures and five arrivals on Monday, and indicated operations would continue under close monitoring and adapt to evolving conditions.

The disruption followed a weekend of conflict that impacted regional aviation. Strikes damaged key aviation hubs, including airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, closing airspace and stranding large numbers of travelers across airports, hotels and cruise ships. Airlines continue to manage limited operations in line with regulatory and safety directives while broader schedules remain curtailed.