UAE Flights Hit by Wave of Cancellations and Delays Amid Regional Tensions
Written by AI from gulfnews.com's report. Not checked by a person.
Widespread flight cancellations and delays struck Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports on 1 November as regional airspace restrictions forced airlines to suspend or postpone dozens of routes.
On 1 November 2026, all three major UAE airports — Dubai International, Abu Dhabi's Zayed International and Sharjah — reported significant flight disruptions driven by regional airspace restrictions tied to ongoing tensions. Etihad cancelled all services to Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh through 5 November. Air Arabia at Sharjah announced widespread cancellations spanning routes across the Middle East, Asia and Europe. At Dubai International, flights to multiple Saudi destinations were cancelled and services to Almaty, Saint Petersburg and Tashkent were delayed. On a broader level, Singapore Airlines extended its Dubai suspension all the way to 28 February 2027. Positive signals were also present: British Airways was due to resume Dubai flights on 3 November, though Lufthansa pushed its own return back to 25 November. Up to 36 weekly flights between Dubai and Europe were expected to resume by December. Departing seat capacity had already hit 7.2 million in October, a 23 per cent rise from June. Passengers were advised to check their flight status directly with airlines before heading to airports.
