Dubai International delays continue after over 40 inbound flights were disrupted

Disruption overview

Inbound flights to Dubai International Airport were still arriving late on 28 September 2026 after heavy disruption the previous day affected more than 40 flights into Dubai and Abu Dhabi. flydubai services from Almaty, Tashkent, Dushanbe, Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and Bishkek were among those delayed on Monday morning, while an Emirates service from London Heathrow was also pushed back. By 8:00 am local time, most departures from Dubai and operations at Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport were back on, or close to, schedule, although short-notice changes were still possible. Because the disruption appears linked to wider security and conflict-related pressures outside the airlines' control, compensation under EC 261 is usually unlikely, but passengers should still receive care and assistance during long delays or cancellations.

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Disruption details

Inbound flights to Dubai International Airport were still facing delays on 28 September 2026, after heavy disruption the previous day affected more than 40 flights into Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

For passengers, this meant late arrivals, longer waits, and last-minute schedule changes at the start of the week. Airlines and airports worked through the backlog overnight, but some knock-on disruption continued into the Monday morning peak.

At Dubai International Airport (DXB), several flydubai arrivals from Central Asia were still running behind schedule, and an Emirates service from London Heathrow was also pushed back.

Among the flights still affected on Monday morning were:

• A flydubai flight from Almaty due at 7:30 am landed 52 minutes late.

• A flydubai service from Tashkent scheduled for 7:20 am was 64 minutes behind.

• Another flydubai arrival from Dushanbe, originally due at 7:50 am, was retimed to 9:07 am.

• Further flydubai arrivals from Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and Bishkek were also expected to land late.

• An Emirates flight from London Heathrow, scheduled to arrive at 6:40 am, was rescheduled for 8:30 am.

The worst of the disruption came on 27 September 2026, when more than 40 inbound flights into Dubai and Abu Dhabi were delayed, many by over 2 hours, and an unspecified number were canceled. By 8:00 am local time on Monday, most departures from Dubai were back on, or close to, schedule, and operations at Zayed International Airport (ZAY) were also running on or near time.

No single cause has been confirmed. Still, carriers flying into the Gulf have been dealing with wider pressures that can quickly spill into schedules, including ongoing conflict in parts of the Middle East and disruption in Russian airspace linked to the war in Ukraine.

Those effects can last well beyond the original problem. On 19 September, Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow led to more than 400 delayed flights and multiple diversions, adding pressure across networks that feed into the UAE and increasing the risk of later knock-on delays.

If you're traveling with flydubai or Emirates, it's worth checking your flight status before heading to the airport and keeping a close eye on airline messages. As of 4:40 am on Monday, the overall situation was stabilizing, but some inbound services were still subject to short-notice changes.

Because this disruption appears to be linked to wider security and conflict-related issues outside the airlines' control, compensation under EC 261 is unlikely. Even so, your airline should still offer care and assistance if your journey is badly disrupted, including rebooking or a refund after a cancellation, food and drinks during long waits, and accommodation plus transport if you're stranded overnight. If you'd like to understand what support may apply to your flight, AirHelp's free flight checker is a simple place to start.

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