UAE flights today: Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia cancellations and delays as regional tensions disrupt travel

Dubai: Flying from the UAE today? Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia and flydubai are reporting a mix of cancellations, delays and operating changes on several regional and international routes, while airlines continue to monitor the wider security situation in the Middle East.

Etihad has cancelled a Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi flight following unplanned industrial action at Ben Gurion International Airport, while Emirates has cancelled two Dubai-Bahrain services and Air Arabia has cancelled flights linking the UAE with Kuwait and Bahrain.

flydubai is operating services to Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as scheduled, but several other flights have been cancelled.

The disruption comes as the US-Iran conflict continues to affect the wider region, with security concerns also weighing on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and airlines continuing to review routes and schedules.

Iran has condemned US President Donald Trump's threat of “crushing economic warfare”, as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pledged what he described as the “toughest sanctions in history” to pressure Tehran and called on China to join the effort.

The US has also sanctioned Hezbollah as an Iranian proxy.

Meanwhile, the USS George Washington has arrived in the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln. US forces have said they have redirected 67 merchant ships, disabled three and boarded two linked to Iranian ports.

The latest tensions are also being reflected in shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz.

Preliminary data from ship-tracking firm Kpler showed that seven commodity vessels passed through the strategic waterway on Thursday, down from 14 on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Four of Thursday's vessels were entering the Gulf and three were heading out. No supertankers or LNG carriers were recorded passing through the Strait.

A very large gas carrier carrying propane and butane was, however, reported to have exited the waterway via the Iranian route.

For UAE travellers, the wider security situation means airlines continue to assess routes and operations as conditions change.

Meanwhile, Dubai's General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) has announced enhanced operational readiness across travel platforms and checkpoints at Dubai airports.

The measures are aimed at facilitating the return of citizens, residents and visitors following the summer holiday season, while reducing processing times and improving the customer experience.

For travellers, this means airports are preparing for higher passenger volumes as the summer travel period winds down.

Etihad has been particularly affected by unplanned industrial action at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, with several flights disrupted.

The airline said:

Etihad confirmed that flight EY608 from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi on August 20 was cancelled because of industrial action at Ben Gurion.

Separately, EY276 from Abu Dhabi to Peshawar was delayed on August 20 because of operational reasons. The return EY277 from Peshawar to Abu Dhabi was also expected to be delayed.

On the Bahrain route, EY643 and EY644 between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain are operating as scheduled.

However, EY641-EY642, EY645-EY646 and EY647-EY648 remain cancelled until August 21.

Etihad is advising affected passengers to ensure their contact details are updated under Manage My Booking so they can receive flight notifications.

Emirates is reporting cancellations on its Dubai-Bahrain services.

The status of some Dubai-Kuwait flights was unavailable at the latest check. Emirates said flight information would be available 24 hours before departure.

Passengers should check their individual flight status before heading to the airport.

flydubai said flights to Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are operating as scheduled.

However, several other services have been cancelled, including:

flydubai advises passengers departing Dubai to arrive at least four hours before departure, check their flight status, complete online check-in where available and allow extra time to reach Dubai International Airport.

Other flights from Dubai International Airport are also seeing delays, including:

Air Arabia continues to report cancellations involving flights between the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain.

The latest cancellations include:

Several international carriers are continuing to suspend, delay or adjust services involving Dubai and other Middle Eastern destinations.

Air Canada has extended its Dubai suspension, with services not expected to resume until mid-January 2027.

British Airways has suspended flights to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bahrain and Amman until October 25.

Singapore Airlines has pushed back the resumption of Dubai flights until October 24, while its low-cost subsidiary Scoot has suspended Singapore-Jeddah services until September 12.

Air France has temporarily adjusted or suspended services to Dubai and Beirut.

KLM has adjusted its Middle East schedule and continues to avoid flying through the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Israel, as well as parts of the Arabian Gulf. Flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai are suspended until September 6.

Turkish Airlines has resumed services to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Damascus, Beirut and Amman as it restores operations across parts of the Middle East. Flights to Iran remain suspended, with the airline warning of further disruption following the latest escalation.

Philippine Airlines has resumed Manila-Doha flights, while Dubai services remain suspended until October 2.

Several Lufthansa Group services remain affected.

Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and Swiss have resumed flights to Tel Aviv, while Brussels Airlines services to Tel Aviv remain suspended.

Lufthansa and Swiss flights to Dubai remain suspended until September 13.

Services operated by Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat and Tehran are on hold until October 24.

Airlines are continuing to review operations as the regional security situation develops.

The changes include precautionary suspensions, altered schedules and route adjustments, with carriers assessing the safety of destinations and flight paths before operating services.

The situation around the Strait of Hormuz and wider regional security concerns are adding to uncertainty for airlines operating across the Gulf.

For travellers, that means a flight that is operating as scheduled can still be subject to a delay, cancellation or schedule change at short notice.

Dubai's General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs has announced enhanced operational readiness across travel platforms and checkpoints at Dubai airports as the emirate prepares for increased passenger volumes following the summer holiday period.

The measures are aimed at facilitating the return of citizens, residents and visitors, while reducing processing times and improving the airport experience.

For passengers, this means allowing additional time at the airport as the post-summer travel rush builds.

If you are flying from the UAE today: