UAE flight updates: Fresh cancellations and delays as airlines revise schedules

UAE travellers face another day of flight disruption on Sunday, November 15, with Saudi Arabia among the most affected destinations as airlines continue to cancel services and adjust schedules amid regional security concerns.

The disruption extends beyond the region, with more than 6,000 flights cancelled across the US on Saturday following a nationwide air traffic control ground stop. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expects flight schedules to return to normal by the end of Sunday, although airlines are still working to clear the backlog.

Meanwhile, Iranian airlines remain suspended from operating flights to and from the UAE, while services to Israel continue under differing airline-specific restrictions. Etihad Airways, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia have reported cancellations, delays or operational changes across several Saudi routes. Multiple arrivals and departures at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports are also affected.

US flights expected to return to normal

Air travel across the US is expected to return to normal by the end of Sunday after a nationwide ground stop triggered thousands of cancellations and delays, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

More than 6,000 flights within, into and out of the US were cancelled on Saturday as airlines worked to recover from the disruption.

The ground stop, which lasted more than four hours on Friday, was triggered by communication and radar problems during an air traffic control system upgrade involving the replacement of old copper wiring with fibre-optic cables.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the worst of the disruption was over, although airlines continued working through the backlog.

UAE–Iran flights remain suspended

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has suspended flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE until further notice.

The suspension affects direct services operated by carriers including Iran Airtour, Caspian Airlines and Karun Airlines.

Passengers holding tickets for these services should contact their airline or travel agent for information on rebooking and refunds.

UAE–Israel flights

Direct flights between the UAE and Israel remain subject to security and operational restrictions, with airlines following different schedules.

• flydubai: Dubai–Tel Aviv services remain suspended through at least late November.

• Emirates: Dubai–Tel Aviv flights and related codeshare arrangements remain suspended.

• Etihad Airways: Continues to operate direct Abu Dhabi–Tel Aviv services.

• El Al and Arkia: Israeli carriers continue to face delays or suspensions linked to security and landing-permit discussions.

Passengers should check directly with their airlines before travelling.

Multiple arrivals delayed at AUH

Several flights arriving at Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport (AUH) are experiencing delays, with Etihad Airways and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi services among those affected.

Updated arrival timings show delays to flights from Barcelona, Lahore, Islamabad, London, Kochi, Calicut and Amsterdam, among other destinations.

Flights affected: Updated arrival timings

The following arrivals have revised timings, according to the airport's flight-status information.

Etihad Airways

• Barcelona (EY114): Scheduled 7.05am, revised to 7.35am.

• Lahore (EY285): Scheduled 7am, revised to 7.55am.

• Islamabad (EY303): Scheduled 7.10am, revised to 8.05am.

• London Heathrow (EY068): Scheduled 7.45am, revised to 8.25am.

• Amsterdam (EY042): Scheduled 6.40am, revised to 10.05am.

• Tel Aviv (EY610): Scheduled 11.15am, revised to 12.05pm.

• Bangkok (EY403): Scheduled 12.35pm, revised to 1.25pm.

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi

• Kochi (3L128): Scheduled 7.45am, revised to 8.30am.

• Calicut (3L201): Scheduled 7.50am, revised to 8.35am.

Passengers arriving at or travelling through Abu Dhabi are advised to check the latest flight status with their airlines before heading to the airport, as timings may change.

Flynas, SpiceJet cancellations hit DXB services

Several flights departing from and arriving at Dubai International Airport (DXB) are facing cancellations and delays, affecting services operated by Flynas, SpiceJet, Emirates, British Airways and other airlines.

The latest airport flight-status updates show multiple cancellations on routes to Saudi Arabia and India, while several international arrivals and departures have revised timings.

DXB departures: Cancelled and delayed flights

Cancelled flights

• Riyadh (XY216) – Flynas: 7.05am.

• Riyadh (XY212) – Flynas: 7.15pm.

• Gassim (XY206) – Flynas: 4.15pm.

• Mumbai (SG5114) – SpiceJet: 8.25pm.

• Amritsar (SG5156) – SpiceJet: 12.45pm.

• New Delhi (SG5106) – SpiceJet: 9.50am.

Delayed flights

• London Heathrow (BA104) – British Airways: 10am, revised to 12pm.

• New York (EK205) – Emirates: 9am, revised to 9.35am.

• Krasnodar (SU769) – Aeroflot, departing from DWC: 8.35am, revised to 9.20am.

• Dusseldorf (EK055) – Emirates: 8.20am, revised to 9.05am.

More Flynas cancellations on Saudi routes

Additional flight-status updates show further Flynas cancellations from Dubai to Saudi Arabia:

• Riyadh (XY209): 8.45pm.

• Riyadh (XY211): 6.25pm.

• Gassim (XY205): 3.10pm.

SpiceJet departures: Multiple India flights cancelled

SpiceJet is facing several cancellations on its Dubai departures to India. The affected services include flights to Mumbai, Amritsar, New Delhi and Jaipur.

The latest airport status updates list the following cancellations:

• New Delhi (SG5106): 9.50am.

• Amritsar (SG5156): 12.45pm.

• Mumbai (SG5114): 8.25pm.

• Jaipur (SG5124): 7.25pm.

• New Delhi (SG5111): 11.50am.

• Mumbai (SG5060): 11.55am.

DXB arrivals: Cancelled and delayed flights

Cancelled flights

• Ahmedabad (SG5116) – SpiceJet: Scheduled 8.50am.

• Jaipur (SG5124) – SpiceJet: 7.25pm arrival.

• Riyadh (XY209) – Flynas: 8.45pm arrival.

• Riyadh (XY211) – Flynas: 6.25pm arrival.

• Gassim (XY205) – Flynas: 3.10pm arrival.

• New Delhi (SG5111) – SpiceJet: 11.50am arrival.

• Mumbai (SG5060) – SpiceJet: 11.55am arrival.

Delayed flights

• London Heathrow (BA105) – British Airways: 7.45am, revised to 11.07am.

• Kigali (WB304) – RwandAir: 8.30am, revised to 9.44am.

• Grozny (UT733) – UTair Aviation, arriving at DWC: 8.30am, revised to 9.06am.

• Dushanbe (FZ778) – flydubai: 8.35am, revised to 10.01am.

• Karachi (FZ334) – flydubai: 11.25am, revised to 12.25pm.

• Tashkent (HY333) – Uzbekistan Airways: 11am, revised to 11.42am.

UAE–Saudi Arabia flights: Cancellations continue

Saudi Arabia remains one of the most disrupted destinations for UAE-based travellers. The latest airline updates show cancellations affecting Riyadh and Dammam in particular, although some services to Jeddah, Medina and other Saudi cities continue to operate.

Etihad Airways – Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia

Etihad Airways has extended flight cancellations on two key Saudi routes:

• Dammam: All passenger and cargo flights cancelled through November 19.

• Riyadh: All passenger and cargo flights cancelled through November 19.

• Jeddah: Flights EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604 resumed from November 6. Other Abu Dhabi–Jeddah services are scheduled to operate.

Passengers should check their individual bookings for the latest updates, as further changes remain possible.

Emirates – Dubai to Saudi Arabia

Emirates' November 15 flight-status update shows a mixed picture across its Saudi network.

Dammam

Emirates has not yet displayed flight-status information for Dubai–Dammam services on Sunday, November 15.

The airline says updates will be available 24 hours before departure. The absence of information does not confirm that a flight has been cancelled.

Jeddah

The following services are listed:

• Dubai to Jeddah: EK803 and EK805 scheduled to operate.

• Jeddah to Dubai: EK806 and EK804 scheduled.

Medina

The latest status shows:

• Dubai to Medina: EK807 and EK2537 arrived; EK809 scheduled.

• Medina to Dubai: EK808 in flight; EK2538 and EK810 scheduled.

Riyadh

Emirates has not yet displayed flight-status information for Riyadh–Dubai services on Sunday, November 15.

The airline says flight-status updates will be available 24 hours before departure. Passengers should check again closer to their scheduled departure.

Emirates passengers are advised to use the airline's flight tracker before leaving for the airport, particularly if they have onward connections.

flydubai – Dubai to Saudi Arabia

flydubai continues to operate selected services between Dubai and Saudi Arabia, with flights to Jeddah, Medina, Ha'il and Gassim listed in its November 15 update.

The latest flight information shows:

• Ha'il: FZ925 and return flight FZ926 scheduled.

• Jeddah: FZ831, FZ909 and FZ829 operational. Return flights FZ832, FZ910 and FZ830 scheduled.

• Medina: FZ897, FZ8387 and FZ827 operational. Return flight FZ828 arrived, while FZ898 and FZ8388 are scheduled.

• Gassim: FZ871 and return flight FZ872 scheduled.

Routes without flight-status information

No flight-status information was available in the supplied November 15 update for Abha, AlUla, Dammam, Gizan, Hofuf, Jouf, Tabuk, Nejran, Neom, Qaisumah, Taif, Riyadh, The Red Sea International and Yanbu.

The absence of a flight-status listing does not automatically mean a service has been cancelled.

flydubai had previously confirmed that flights to Riyadh and Abha would remain suspended through November 16, with bookings for some other Saudi destinations gradually reopening.

Passengers are advised to check their booking status directly with the airline before heading to the airport.

Air Arabia – Sharjah and Abu Dhabi flight updates

Air Arabia's November 15 flight update shows cancellations across several international routes, including Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and other destinations.

Some Saudi services from Sharjah continue to operate, including flights to Dammam, Gassim, Ha'il, Jeddah and Medina.

Abu Dhabi–Bangladesh flights

Both Air Arabia Abu Dhabi services between Abu Dhabi and Dhaka have been cancelled:

• Abu Dhabi to Dhaka: 3L063 – Cancelled.

• Dhaka to Abu Dhabi: 3L064 – Cancelled.

Sharjah–Saudi Arabia flights

Several Saudi routes have been affected, although services to other destinations continue to operate.

Cancelled flights

• Abha: G9195 (Sharjah–Abha) and G9196 (Abha–Sharjah).

• Jizan: G9398 (Sharjah–Jizan) and G9399 (Jizan–Sharjah).

• Riyadh: G9151 and G9154 (Sharjah–Riyadh); G9152 and G9155 (Riyadh–Sharjah).

• Tabuk: G9191 (Sharjah–Tabuk) and G9192 (Tabuk–Sharjah).

Operating routes

• Dammam

• Gassim

• Ha'il

• Jeddah

• Medina

Al Jouf: No flights found in the supplied update.

Other international flight cancellations

Air Arabia has also reported cancellations on several other international routes:

• Bahrain: G9107 (Sharjah–Bahrain) and G9108 (Bahrain–Sharjah).

• Chattogram: G9520 (Sharjah–Chattogram) and G9521 (Chattogram–Sharjah).

• Dhaka: G9514 (Sharjah–Dhaka) and G9515 (Dhaka–Sharjah).

• Addis Ababa: G9738D (Sharjah–Addis Ababa).

• Athens: G9818 (Sharjah–Athens) and G9819 (Athens–Sharjah).

• Amman: G9337 and G9330 (Sharjah–Amman); G9338 and G9331 (Amman–Sharjah).

• Kuwait: G9068 and G9124 (Sharjah–Kuwait); G9069 (Kuwait–Sharjah).

• Beirut: G9387 (Sharjah–Beirut) and G9388 (Beirut–Sharjah).

• Doha: G9040 and G9027 (Sharjah–Doha); G9041 and G9028 (Doha–Sharjah).

• Moscow – Domodedovo: G9950, G9956 and G9958 (Sharjah–Moscow); G9957, G9959 and G9951 (Moscow–Sharjah).

• Yekaterinburg: G9960 (Sharjah–Yekaterinburg).

• Colombo: G9587 (Sharjah–Colombo).

• Damascus: G9363 (Sharjah–Damascus) and G9364 (Damascus–Sharjah).

• Bangkok: G9845 (Sharjah–Bangkok) and G9846 (Bangkok–Sharjah).

• Entebbe: G9691 (Sharjah–Entebbe) and G9692 (Entebbe–Sharjah).

• London – Gatwick: G9267 (Sharjah–London) and G9268 (London–Sharjah).

• Tashkent: G9273 (Sharjah–Tashkent), G9271 and G9274 (Tashkent–Sharjah).

Additional flight-status information

• Yekaterinburg to Sharjah: No flights found.

• Colombo to Sharjah: No return flight status supplied.

• Sharjah to Tashkent: G9270 had not yet departed.

Passengers should check their flight status directly with Air Arabia before travelling to the airport. A missing flight-status listing does not automatically mean a service has been cancelled.

Check your flight before heading to the airport

With cancellations and delays affecting multiple airlines and destinations, UAE travellers are advised to check their flight status directly with their airline before leaving for the airport.

Passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia, India and other affected destinations should pay particular attention to last-minute schedule changes. Those connecting through Dubai or Abu Dhabi should also confirm their onward flight arrangements.

Airline schedules remain subject to change as carriers respond to regional security developments and operational disruptions. Passengers should allow sufficient time for airport procedures and follow updates issued by their airlines and airports.