Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, and flydubai report ongoing delays and cancellations across the UAE

Disruption overview

Flights through Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport, and Sharjah International Airport are gradually stabilizing on 24 August 2026, but some passengers in the UAE are still facing delays and cancellations. Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, and Air Arabia have all issued updates, with Air Arabia recording the highest number of cancellations on routes including Kuwait, Bahrain, and Doha, while several international airlines have also kept UAE suspensions in place because of the regional security situation. Passengers are being told to monitor airline apps and websites closely and allow extra time at the airport. Because the disruption is linked to a wider security crisis rather than something airlines can control, compensation under EC 261 is usually unlikely, but airlines should still provide care and assistance during longer delays or overnight disruption.

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Disruption details

Operations at Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport, and Sharjah International Airport were gradually stabilizing on 24 August 2026 after several weeks of war-related disruption across the Gulf, but selected delays and cancellations were still affecting passengers traveling through the UAE.

For passengers, that means the travel picture is improving, but it still isn't fully settled. Many flights are operating again, yet some regional and long-haul services are still running later than planned, and airlines are telling travelers to keep checking flight status before heading to the airport.

At Emirates, most flights were back to normal and services to Kuwait had resumed. But 4 daily Dubai–Bahrain rotations, EK 835/836 and EK 837/838, remained canceled, while EK 839/840 was operating. Long-haul flight EK 434 from Dubai to Brisbane was also running late.

Etihad Airways reported a mix of operational and technical delays. EY 406 from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok and the return EY 407 were both pushed back on 24 August, while EY 042 from Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi was delayed on 23 August after a technical issue. At the same time, Etihad's Abu Dhabi services to Bahrain and Kuwait, including EY 641/642, EY 645/646, EY 647/648, and EY 653/654, were scheduled or had arrived on time.

flydubai said its flights to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia were operating, but warned that timings could still change at short notice. If you're departing from Dubai, the airline wants you to arrive 4 hours before your flight.

Air Arabia was still seeing the heaviest disruption on 24 August. The airline canceled Abu Dhabi–Kuwait flights 3L 020/021, Sharjah–Bahrain service G9 107/108, and several Sharjah routes to Kuwait and Doha. A number of other departures were still listed as not departed.

That mixed picture goes beyond UAE-based airlines. Several international carriers have either extended or introduced suspensions to the UAE because of the regional security situation. Air Canada has paused Dubai flights until mid-January 2027, British Airways until 25 October 2026, Singapore Airlines until 24 October 2026, KLM until 6 September 2026, Philippine Airlines until 2 October 2026, and Lufthansa and Swiss until 13 September 2026. Turkish Airlines has resumed UAE routes, but its Iran suspension remains in place.

The main reason for the disruption is the continuing Middle East conflict. Heightened security restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz have forced airlines to reroute flights or reduce capacity, while the post-summer travel surge is adding extra pressure at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. UAE authorities say passenger-processing areas have been reinforced to help manage higher volumes, but airlines are still warning that schedules could change again if conditions worsen.

Because this disruption is tied to a wider security crisis rather than something the airline can control, compensation under EC 261 is usually unlikely. Even so, you should still receive care and assistance if your trip is seriously disrupted, including rebooking or a refund after a cancellation, plus meals, refreshments, and hotel accommodation during longer or overnight delays. If you want to understand what applies to your flight, AirHelp's free flight checker is a simple place to start.

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