Airlines restore UAE-Europe flights amid regional tensions and Saudi disruptions
UAE travellers could have more flight options in the coming weeks as airlines gradually restore services to Dubai, with up to 36 weekly flights between Dubai and Europe expected to return from late October through December 2026. Services to Athens and Manila are also being restored, offering more choices for passengers planning international trips.
However, flight operations across the region remain fluid, with cancellations and delays affecting routes from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia and other destinations. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport reopened on October 25, after a two-week closure, although many scheduled departures remained cancelled. Air Arabia, Etihad Airways and Emirates have also listed changes to some services, while flydubai reports a mix of scheduled, estimated and operating flights.
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Meanwhile, regional tensions remain high, Iranian airline services to and from the UAE remain suspended, and Emirates’ codeshare operations with flydubai to and from Tel Aviv remain affected. Follow our live updates for the latest developments, flight cancellations, delays and airline schedule changes.
Flight status alert: Travellers should check directly with their airlines to confirm operating dates, flight status and rebooking options, as services may not resume all at once. Follow our live updates for the latest UAE flight schedules, cancellations, delays and route changes.
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran against acquiring nuclear weapons while leaving open the possibility of a deal. Tehran says the management of the Strait of Hormuz will change after the war.
Iran is also expected to host regional security talks in Tehran involving officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Expected participants include Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.
Trump has urged Israelis to vote for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him an “outstanding Warrior Prime Minister” and citing the US-Israel war against Iran as an example of the countries “winning together”.
Live blog: Trump says military action against Iran remains an option, while leaving the door open to a deal. Tehran has vowed changes to the management of the Strait of Hormuz after the war, as regional tensions continue and the Houthis claim strikes on Saudi Arabia. Follow our Middle East tensions live blog for the latest updates.
Flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE remain suspended until further notice, including Iran Airtour services to and from Dubai.
Passengers should contact their airline directly for the latest information on cancellations, rebooking and refunds.
Dubai–Tel Aviv services remain affected following the September 30 security incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073. Emirates’ codeshare operations with flydubai to and from Tel Aviv remain suspended until further notice. Affected passengers should contact Emirates, flydubai or their travel agent for assistance.
King Khalid International Airport resumed operations on October 25, after a two-week closure following attacks on Riyadh. However, Flightradar24 data showed that most scheduled departures remained cancelled despite the reopening. Passengers travelling to or from Riyadh should confirm their flight status directly with their airline before heading to the airport.
Saudi Arabia also reported intercepting a Houthi ballistic missile and a drone on Sunday, amid continuing threats from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement.
Data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that 7,802 of 17,299 scheduled departures across Saudi Arabia were cancelled or did not operate between October 8 and 25 — about 45.1%.
Riyadh was the worst-affected airport, with 4,071 of 4,736 departures disrupted, representing 85.96% of its scheduled services.
Other affected airports included:
Dammam: 823 of 1,956 departures disrupted (42.08%).
Jeddah: 1,402 of 6,380 departures disrupted (21.97%).
Nationwide disruption peaked at 60.21% on October 12, fell to 16.51% on October 24, then rose to 44.23% on October 25, the day Riyadh airport reopened.
Passengers should check with their airlines for the latest information before travelling, as flight operations and schedules remain subject to change.
Important: This update includes flight cancellations, delays and schedule changes reported by airlines and airports. Not all of these disruptions are related to the conflict or regional security situation; some may be due to operational, technical or other reasons.
Several arrivals at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport have been delayed on Monday, October 26, according to the airport’s flight information.
Mumbai: Etihad EY201 was scheduled to arrive at 1pm, revised to 1.35pm.
Bangkok: Etihad EY403 and codeshare services VN3725, UX2704, PG4016, MS8131, K65403 and DE5463 were scheduled for 12.35pm, revised to 1.50pm.
Kuala Lumpur: Etihad EY489 and codeshare services XY3489, MS8427 and DE5521 were scheduled for 12.50pm, revised to 2.25pm.
Kathmandu: Air Arabia Abu Dhabi 3L044 and Etihad EY1385 were scheduled for 1.25pm, revised to 2.25pm.
Peshawar: PIA PK217 was scheduled for 5.50pm, revised to 6.45pm.
Lisbon: Etihad EY100 and TP6891 were scheduled for 7.45pm, revised to 8.50pm.
Passengers should check the Zayed International Airport website or contact their airline for the latest arrival information.
Dubai International Airport’s arrival information lists cancellations and revised timings across several routes on Monday.
Cancelled arrivals
10.55am: Aktyubinsk (AKX) — FlyArystan FS7809, Terminal 1.
11.15am: Riyadh (RUH) — Riyadh Air RX241, Terminal 1.
11.30am: Basra (BSR) — Iraqi Airways IA127, Terminal 2.
Noon: Riyadh (RUH) — Saudia SV596, Terminal 1.
12.55pm: Addis Ababa (ADD) — Ethiopian Airlines ET660, Terminal 1.
3.25pm: Gassim (ELQ) — flynas XY205, Terminal 1.
7.30pm: Sulaymaniyah (ISU) — Iraqi Airways IA105, Terminal 2.
10.15pm: Pune (PNQ) — SpiceJet SG051, Terminal 1.
Emirates EK142: Madrid to Dubai — listed as cancelled.
Delayed arrivals
Jeddah: Saudia SV566, scheduled for 9.45am, revised to 10.27am.
Jeddah: flydubai FZ832, scheduled for 11.20am, revised to 11.57am.
Dhaka: US-Bangla BS343, scheduled for 12.40pm, revised to 1.27pm.
Chittagong: flydubai FZ564, scheduled for 12.55pm, revised to 1.39pm.
Baku: flydubai FZ710, scheduled for 5.15pm, revised to 5.59pm.
Mumbai: SpiceJet SG5060A, scheduled for 6.25pm, revised to 3.12am on October 27.
Manila: Philippine Airlines PR658, scheduled for 6.45pm, revised to 8.28pm.
Check the Dubai Airports website or your airline before travelling. Not all listed disruptions are necessarily related to the regional conflict; operational or other issues may also affect flights.
Etihad Airways has extended cancellations on several services between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia through Thursday, November 5, citing regional disruption.
Dammam: All flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam are cancelled.
Riyadh: All flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are cancelled.
Jeddah: Flights EY601 and EY603 from Abu Dhabi to Jeddah, and EY602 and EY604 from Jeddah to Abu Dhabi, are cancelled.
Travellers should check Etihad’s website for the latest information and options for their bookings.
Emirates continues to list cancellations on several services between Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh
Dubai to Riyadh: EK813, EK815, EK817 and EK819 are cancelled.
Riyadh to Dubai: EK814, EK816, EK818 and EK820 are cancelled.
Dammam
Dubai to Dammam: EK821, EK823 and EK827 are cancelled.
Dammam to Dubai: EK824, EK828 and EK822 are cancelled.
Jeddah
Dubai to Jeddah: EK801, EK803 and EK805 are cancelled.
Jeddah to Dubai: EK802, EK804 and EK806 are cancelled.
The following services are listed as scheduled:
Dubai to Medina: EK807 and EK809.
Medina to Dubai: EK808 and EK810.
Passengers should verify their specific flight before travelling, as schedules and operating status can change.
Emirates codeshare flights to Tel Aviv suspended
Emirates’ codeshare operations with flydubai to and from Tel Aviv have been suspended until further notice, effective October 5, 2026.
Affected customers should contact their travel agent or Emirates’ contact centre, or check the airline’s website for assistance.
Emirates flight EK142 from Madrid to Dubai is listed as cancelled, with the service due to operate as EK8144 on October 26 because of an operational issue. The airline says affected customers are being rebooked to their final destinations and will receive updated itineraries. Passengers can check their bookings through Emirates’ Manage Your Booking service.
Travel alert: Flight schedules can change quickly. Check your airline’s official channels for the latest status.
flydubai’s flight-status page lists several services between Dubai and Saudi Arabia as scheduled, estimated, arrived or in flight on Monday, October 26. However, no flight-status information was available for several other Saudi routes.
No flight-status information available
flydubai’s website returned no flight-status information for these Dubai departures on October 26:
Abha (AHB)
Dammam (DMM)
Gizan (GIZ)
Hofuf (HOF)
Jouf (AJF)
Nejran (EAM)
Neom (NUM)
Qaisumah (AQI)
Riyadh (RUH)
Taif (TIF)
The Red Sea (RSI)
Yanbu (YNB)
No flight-status information found does not necessarily mean a flight has been cancelled. Passengers should contact flydubai or check the airline’s website for confirmation before travelling.
Dubai–Saudi Arabia flights
Gassim (ELQ)
Dubai to Gassim: FZ871 — scheduled.
Gassim to Dubai: FZ872 — arrived.
Ha’il (HAS)
Dubai to Ha’il: FZ925 — estimated.
Ha’il to Dubai: FZ926 — scheduled.
Jeddah (JED)
Dubai to Jeddah: FZ831 — arrived; FZ909 and FZ829 — estimated.
Jeddah to Dubai: FZ832 — in flight; FZ910 — estimated; FZ830 — scheduled.
Madinah (MED)
Dubai to Madinah: FZ897 — estimated; FZ827 — scheduled.
Madinah to Dubai: FZ828 — arrived; FZ898 — estimated.
Tabuk (TUU)
Dubai to Tabuk: FZ881 — estimated.
Tabuk to Dubai: FZ882 — scheduled.
Dubai–Addis Ababa flights
Dubai to Addis Ababa (ADD): FZ641 — arrived; FZ647 — scheduled.
Addis Ababa to Dubai: FZ642 — arrived; FZ648 — scheduled.
Check-in reminder
flydubai advises passengers that check-in counters close 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time, unless they have received an SMS or email stating otherwise.
Travellers should check the flydubai website for the latest flight status and allow sufficient time at the airport.
Air Arabia has listed cancellations affecting services from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah to several regional and international destinations on Monday, October 26. The affected routes include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Russia and other destinations.
Passengers should check Air Arabia’s official flight-status page before travelling, as schedules may change.
Abu Dhabi flights cancelled
The following Air Arabia Abu Dhabi services are listed as cancelled:
Yerevan
Abu Dhabi to Yerevan: 3L441.
Yerevan to Abu Dhabi: 3L442.
Dhaka
Abu Dhabi to Dhaka: 3L063.
Dhaka to Abu Dhabi: 3L064.
Egypt
Abu Dhabi to Alexandria Airport: 3L401A.
Abu Dhabi to Cairo–Sphinx: 3L383.
Cairo–Sphinx to Abu Dhabi: 3L384.
Abu Dhabi to Sohag: 3L413.
Sohag to Abu Dhabi: 3L414.
Kuwait
Abu Dhabi to Kuwait: 3L020.
Kuwait to Abu Dhabi: 3L021.
Oman
Abu Dhabi to Salalah: 3L267.
Salalah to Abu Dhabi: 3L268.
Air Arabia has also listed cancellations on the following services from Sharjah.
Saudi Arabia
Abha: Sharjah to Abha G9195; Abha to Sharjah G9196.
Dammam: Sharjah to Dammam G9160, G9163 and G9167; Dammam to Sharjah G9161, G9164 and G9168.
Riyadh: Sharjah to Riyadh G9151 and G9154; Riyadh to Sharjah G9152 and G9155.
Kuwait and Qatar
Kuwait: Sharjah to Kuwait G9068 and G9124; Kuwait to Sharjah G9069 and G9125.
Doha: Sharjah to Doha G9081; Doha to Sharjah G9082.
Oman
Salalah: Sharjah to Salalah G9390; Salalah to Sharjah G9391.
Egypt and North Africa
Cairo: Sharjah to Cairo G9583; Cairo to Sharjah G9584.
South Asia
Chattogram: Sharjah to Chattogram G9520; Chattogram to Sharjah G9521.
Europe
Athens: Sharjah to Athens G9818; Athens to Sharjah G9819.
London Gatwick: Sharjah to London Gatwick G9267; London Gatwick to Sharjah G9268.
Moscow Domodedovo: Sharjah to Moscow G9950 and G9956; Moscow to Sharjah G9957, G9959 and G9951.
Yekaterinburg: Sharjah to Yekaterinburg G9960 is cancelled. No flights were found for the return route from Yekaterinburg to Sharjah.
Middle East
Amman: Sharjah to Queen Alia International Airport G9337; Amman to Sharjah G9338.
Damascus: Sharjah to Damascus G9363; Damascus to Sharjah G9364.
Africa
Entebbe: Sharjah to Entebbe G9691; Entebbe to Sharjah G9692.
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur: Sharjah to Kuala Lumpur G9802 is listed as cancelled.
Moscow and Yekaterinburg flight-status note
In addition to the Moscow cancellations listed above, Sharjah–Moscow Domodedovo flight G9805 was listed as not yet departed. This status does not confirm a cancellation.
For Yekaterinburg, no return flights from Yekaterinburg to Sharjah were found in the available status information.
What Air Arabia passengers should do
Passengers affected by cancellations should check Air Arabia’s official website or contact the airline for the latest information on rebooking, refunds and alternative travel arrangements. Check the status of both the outbound and return flights before leaving for the airport.
Several international airlines have extended suspensions or adjusted services to Saudi Arabia. The following updates are based on the information supplied and should be checked against current airline advisories before publication.
Etihad Airways: Saudi flights cancelled through November 5
Etihad Airways has cancelled all flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam and Riyadh through Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Emirates: Saudi services affected
Emirates has suspended flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah through October 25, according to the latest information provided.
flydubai: Riyadh, Dammam and Abha flights suspended
flydubai has suspended flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha until October 29, 2026.
Air Arabia: Saudi services cancelled
Air Arabia has cancelled flights from Sharjah to several Saudi destinations, including Riyadh, Abha, Dammam and Taif. No resumption date has been announced in the information provided.
Air India and Air India Express: Suspensions extended
Air India and Air India Express have suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam until November 7, 2026. Services to and from Jeddah remain suspended until October 31.
Eligible passengers with bookings issued on or before October 24 can opt for flexible rebooking or a full refund. Depending on the airline and route, a one-time complimentary rebooking to operational destinations in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain or India may also be available, subject to conditions and seat availability.
IndiGo: Saudi cancellations through October 31
IndiGo has cancelled flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah until October 31, 2026. Affected passengers are being notified and should check their flight status on the IndiGo website before travelling.
Akasa Air: Jeddah and Riyadh suspensions extended
Akasa Air has extended the suspension of flights to and from Jeddah until November 10 and Riyadh until November 30, 2026.
Affected passengers can request a full refund, credited to the original payment method within seven days, or reschedule without additional charges. Passengers who booked through travel agents should contact them directly.
Oman Air: Flights to and from Riyadh suspended until October 31.
SalamAir: Flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam cancelled until October 31.
Pakistan International Airlines: Riyadh flights temporarily suspended since October 9; no resumption date specified.
Philippine Airlines: Riyadh services PR654 and PR655 suspended until November 29.
Delta Air Lines: Atlanta–Riyadh launch postponed until March 2027.
Lufthansa Group: Riyadh flights suspended until November 18; Dammam services suspended through November 30.
Eurowings: Jeddah flights scheduled to resume on November 12.
Scoot: Singapore–Jeddah flights cancelled until December 2.
KLM: Riyadh and Dammam cancellations extended through October 31.
British Airways: Limited Riyadh service scheduled to resume on November 3, with one flight daily.
Malaysia Airlines: Previously announced the resumption of Jeddah and Madinah services on October 18; passengers should confirm current operations.
Air France: The previously announced Riyadh suspension ran through October 24; check for an extension or resumption announcement.
With flight schedules changing across the region, passengers should:
Check their flight status directly with the airline before leaving for the airport.
Confirm whether their flight is operating, delayed or cancelled.
Review rebooking options and any revised itinerary.
Check baggage allowances and ticket conditions before travelling.
Monitor official airport and airline channels for further updates.
This live update reflects the flight information and regional developments available for October 26, 2026. Flight operations remain subject to change, so passengers should rely on the latest information from their airline or departure airport.