Flying from the UAE this weekend? Latest flight cancellations, airline updates and travel advisories

Dubai: Travellers flying between the UAE and southern Saudi Arabia are facing ongoing disruption, with flights to and from Abha International Airport suspended for a fourth consecutive day on Friday, despite much of the airport's domestic schedule still operating.

Passengers travelling on routes between Dubai, Sharjah and Abha are being urged to check their flight status before heading to the airport, as fresh cancellations appeared on both departure and arrival boards.

Here's a full breakdown of what's changed.

Etihad Airways has announced delays to its Abu Dhabi-Toronto service on Friday, July 17, due to operational reasons.

Flight EY21 from Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi to Toronto Pearson International Airport has been delayed, the airline said.

As a result, the return service, flight EY22 from Toronto to Abu Dhabi, will also depart later than scheduled.

Etihad apologised for the disruption, saying its teams are working to assist affected passengers and minimise the impact on their journeys.

Etihad Airways flight EY063 from Abu Dhabi Zayed to London Heathrow Airport on July 16 was also delayed due to technical issues. It's flights to Washington also faced delays.

Flight disruptions at Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport entered a fourth consecutive day on Friday, with all scheduled flydubai services between Dubai and Abha and Air Arabia's Sharjah-Abha flights remaining cancelled.

While international services to the UAE continue to be affected, the airport has stayed partially operational, with several domestic flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina and Tabuk operating as scheduled.

Several countries, including Canada, the UK and the US, continue to advise travellers to exercise caution in areas near the Saudi-Yemen border because of the risk of missile and drone attacks.

The UK has updated its travel advice for the Middle East, warning that although the US and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the regional security situation remains unpredictable and hostilities could resume with little warning.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is advising British travellers to monitor local developments, follow instructions from local authorities and keep travel plans under review. It also notes that Iran has previously targeted civilian infrastructure across the region, including airports, ports, hotels and energy facilities.

UAE-based travellers heading to India need to complete Air Suvidha 2.0, a mandatory digital health declaration, before boarding. The update is a response to the WHO declaring the Ebola/Bundibugyo outbreak in the DR Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

The Self-Declaration Form can be completed up to 24 hours before arrival at airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in, with no paperwork needed on landing — travellers simply show the downloaded form at the health desk or immigration counter.

Emirates

No major cancellations or delays reported. The airline said it is expecting a high volume of passengers travelling from Dubai during the summer peak travel season. Emirates is currently flying to 137 destinations across 72 countries as it rebuilds its network, with rebooking or refunds available depending on booking conditions.

flydubai:

Operations have ramped up ahead of the busy summer travel period, with passengers advised to check in online and arrive at Dubai International four hours before departure. The airline has also resumed flights to Aleppo and launched an additionals service to Bangkok.

Air Arabia

The airline is increasing operations from Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, while expanding its European network with new flights to Rome and London Gatwick.

Qatar Airways:

The carrier continues to expand its network, serving more than 160 destinations. It will resume daily Doha-Philadelphia flights from August 1 and has increased Doha-Dubai services from two to five daily.

Oman Air and SalamAir:

Both airlines have added extra flights and seats on the Muscat-Salalah route to meet peak Khareef travel demand, while new international services to Salalah are also boosting connectivity.

Gulf Air:

The Bahraini carrier is gradually restoring its network following the reopening of the country's airspace, while continuing to expand its fleet and launch new routes.

Saudia:

The airline has partially resumed services to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman on a limited daily schedule.

flynas:

The Saudi low-cost carrier is expanding its international network with new routes to Aleppo, Munich, Budapest and Alexandria, alongside its wider Summer 2026 schedule.

Kuwait Airways:

The airline has resumed operations after reopening following last month's disruption and is serving major destinations including Dubai, London, Mumbai, Delhi and Cairo.

Jazeera Airways

The carrier has restored services to destinations including Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi, Cairo, Beirut and Istanbul, but says occasional Kuwaiti airspace closures could still cause delays.

Air Astana
Suspended UAE flights from July 13, days after announcing a resumption, "due to the ongoing escalation of the situation in the Middle East." Full refunds or free rebooking available up to July 31.

Iraqi Airways
Phased restart focused on domestic routes (Baghdad, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Basra) plus select international links to Istanbul, Cairo and Amman.

Air India / Air India Express
Operating as scheduled but warning of possible airspace-related disruption. Air India Express officially launched its first direct flight from Navi Mumbai to Abu Dhabi on July 15. Air India also inked a pact with Riyadh Air “to establish the foundation for a partnership that will offer guests seamless connections between India, Saudi Arabia, and destinations beyond.”

Air Canada
Air Canada said due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, flights to and from Dubai (DXB) and Tel Aviv (TLV) remain suspended until October 24, inclusive.

IndiGo
IndiGo says it plans to continue operating Gulf routes from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru while closely monitoring the regional situation. IndiGo has decided to make temporary adjustments to a limited segment of its international network including temporary suspension of operations to Langkawi, Krabi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong and Shanghai starting July 1, and Siem Reap effective July 3, until September 30.
Flights to Manchester remain cancelled until August 31.

Britsh Airways

British Airways has extended its flexible booking policy for passengers travelling to or from several Middle East destinations, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Amman, Tel Aviv, Jeddah and Riyadh, amid ongoing regional uncertainty.

Customers with tickets issued by April 1 for travel up to October 31 can request a full refund, even if their flight is still scheduled to operate. Passengers can also change their travel dates or rebook onto another British Airways route without a change fee, although any fare difference may still apply.

The airline said it continues to monitor the situation closely and will contact affected customers directly with updates.

Turkish Airlines
Resumed Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Damascus, Beirut and Amman; Dubai frequency doubled to 14 weekly flights from 25 June. Iran flights remain suspended.

KLM
KLM will not operate flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam until and including August 23.

Lufthansa Group
Dubai suspended until September 13; Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat and Tehran on hold until October 24 across Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. Tel Aviv resumed for Austrian, Lufthansa and Swiss, but not Brussels Airlines.

Royal Jordanian
Operating while Jordanian airspace stays open; free changes or refunds offered.

Air France
Air France plans to serve nearly 170 destinations across 73 countries during the summer 2026 season, with a 2 per cent increase in long-haul capacity driven by strong demand for North and South America and Asia.
Flights to Dubai, Riyadh, Tel Aviv and Beirut will remain suspended due to the ongoing security situation in the Middle East, with schedules subject to change based on regional developments.

Singapore Airlines

Flights between Singapore and Dubai have been cancelled until October 24, the airline announced Thursday. Customers affected by the flight cancellations can seek a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket, it said.

Cathay Pacific
Dubai and Riyadh suspended until August 31; tickets on sale again from September 1.

Philippine Airlines
Manila–Doha resumed; Manila–Dubai suspended until October 2.

Cebu Pacific
Manila–Dubai resumed, flight 5J 14/15 running four times weekly (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday).