UAE flight update: Which UAE, international airlines are operating special flights?

Dubai: Only a small number of airlines are operating special or limited flights out of the UAE, as most scheduled services remain suspended due to regional airspace closures.

In the four days since the US-Israel war on Iran and the resulting fallout, civil aviation across the region has been severely disrupted.

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All four UAE national airlines and some regional carriers are operating special or limited flights. However, the majority of scheduled services remain cancelled.

Here are the latest updates:

All scheduled Emirates flights to and from Dubai remain suspended until 11:59 pm, UAE time on March 7, due to airspace closures across the region.

Emirates continues to operate a limited flight schedule. “We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority on these limited flights. Customers transiting in Dubai will only be accepted for travel if their connecting flight is operating,” the airline clarified.

Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport unless they have been notified directly by Emirates or hold a confirmed booking for these flights.

All Etihad’s scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended until 2 pm UAE time on Thursday, March 5.

Some repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights may operate in coordination with UAE authorities and subject to strict operational and safety approvals, it said in an update on March 3.

flydubai’s schedule partially resumed on March 3, with limited flights operating from Terminals 2 and 3 at Dubai International (DXB). Airline passengers are advised not to travel to the airport unless they have been contacted directly or hold a confirmed booking for their flights.

Customers booked to travel within the next 72 hours can rebook on an alternative flight up to 20 days from the original travel date, free of charge.

Air Arabia flights to and from the UAE remain temporarily suspended until 3 pm, UAE time, Monday, March 9.

A limited number of flights continue to operate in coordination with the relevant authorities, subject to operational and safety approvals. Passengers scheduled on operating flights will be notified directly.

All other passengers are advised not to travel to the airport unless contacted directly by Air Arabia.

Many non-UAE carriers that normally fly into Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah have suspended services.

Carriers not operating regular flights include Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Saudia, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Finnair, British Airways, Air Canada, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.

“Due to the security situation at the destination, Air France has cancelled its flights to/from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh until March 5,” it said.

Most of these airlines have cancelled or paused UAE and regional routes.

A small number of international carriers have also resumed limited services.

Virgin Atlantic resumed scheduled flights between London Heathrow and Dubai and Riyadh on March 3.

Several Indian airlines are operating special or repatriation flights: SpiceJet, Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa Air

Many regular services remain cancelled.

IndiGo said the previously announced flights to Athens, Muscat, Jeddah and Madinah have now commenced operations, along with select repatriation services to the UAE, as the airline gradually restores connectivity on impacted routes.

The carrier said it remains focused on supporting customers affected by recent disruptions and is working to increase the frequency of repatriation flights to the UAE from tomorrow, subject to necessary approvals.

Passengers are advised to monitor their flight status closely and follow updates shared through their registered contact details.

IndiGo has said passengers scheduled to travel should wait for direct confirmation from the airline before proceeding to the airport.

Meanwhile, Air India said it is deploying additional capacity to Toronto, Frankfurt, and Paris (Charles de Gaulle).

And Air India Express will operate the following special flights to and from Ras Al Khaimah from March 5 until March 7, connecting Delhi, Kochi and Mumbai.