Major Gulf carriers maintain regional shuttles while European and Asian long-haul suspensions extend well into autumn
DUBAI, Sept. 17, 2026 : Airlines across the United Arab Emirates faced another morning of fragmented schedules on Thursday, cancelling scattered services to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan while international long-haul operators kept dozens of Gulf connections grounded over persistent regional conflict and climbing jet fuel prices.
Operations across Dubai International Airport (DXB), Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah International Airport reflected a twin reality: home-based carriers largely maintained core Gulf shuttle links, while foreign long-haul operators held back widebody services amid airspace uncertainties across the Middle East.
Dubai International recorded selective cancellations on Thursday, including Emirates flight EK636 to Peshawar, Jazeera Airways flights J9122 and J9124 to Kuwait, and Syrian Air RB518 bound for Damascus. Delays affected Emirates flight EK797 to Conakry and Nepal Airlines flight RA230 to Kathmandu. Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi showed no systemic morning backlogs, though airport authorities continued urging passengers to confirm departure schedules individually.
Sharjah International experienced multiple regional scrubbed flights. Air Arabia cancelled departures G9068 and G9124 to Kuwait alongside flight G9107 to Bahrain. The budget carrier’s Abu Dhabi affiliate cancelled flight 3L020 to Kuwait, while scheduled flights G9103 and G9105 to Bahrain remained on track. At flydubai, departures FZ817 to Yanbu and FZ815 to Abha in Saudi Arabia were called off, though scheduled rotations into Bahrain operated steadily. The budget operator directed all departing Dubai passengers to reach terminals four hours ahead of scheduled pushback.
The commercial disruptions come against the backdrop of volatile regional security, volatile maritime transit choke-points along the Strait of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandab, and surging fuel expenditure. Brent crude hovered near $105 per barrel on Thursday morning, compounding operational strains after the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) jet fuel price monitor recorded a 6.1 per cent jump in global aviation fuel costs to $181.46 per barrel. Diplomatic signals remained mixed; while US President Donald Trump stated direct communications with Tehran could point toward an eventual end to the conflict, no ceasefire or formal framework has been reached.
Western diplomatic travel advisories continue to signal caution. Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office lifted its broad advisory against all but essential transit to the UAE, though it warned that airspace closures could occur without prior notice. The US State Department maintained its Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” classification for both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, citing armed conflict risks and civil aviation disruptions. Australia maintained an identical warning, while Global Affairs Canada advised high caution, telling citizens to keep personal documentation valid and maintain emergency provisions.
The operating posture among foreign carriers remains starkly divided. Indian carriers have fully resumed Gulf schedules, with Air India and Air India Express conducting approximately 780 weekly services between the subcontinent and GCC hubs, alongside targeted Middle East rotations by IndiGo. Turkish Airlines has reinstated passenger services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Qatar Airways is maintaining multiple daily frequencies through Doha.
Major European and Asian legacy airlines, however, are preserving broad route cancellations. Air France suspended Dubai flights through Sept. 19, while Philippine Airlines paused Manila-Dubai services until Oct. 2. A large coalition of European operators—including Lufthansa, SWISS, Eurowings, ITA Airways, Finnair, and AirBaltic—extended Dubai suspensions through Oct. 24, aligned with Singapore Airlines. British Airways has paused Abu Dhabi and Dubai rotations, targeting a partial return to Dubai at reduced frequencies from Oct. 25. Cathay Pacific’s cancellations to Dubai and Riyadh stretch through Nov. 30, and Air Canada has paused Dubai rotations until mid-January 2027. Virgin Atlantic and Korean Air have halted UAE schedules indefinitely.
Aviation authorities advise ticket holders not to travel to passenger terminals without verifying specific flight numbers with operating airlines. Carriers urge passengers to complete digital check-in, update emergency contact details on booking manifests, and allocate extended transit buffers at airport screening zones.
