UAE travellers could see 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. Services to Athens and Manila are also being restored. Flights to and from Saudi Arabia, however, remain badly disrupted.
European routes coming back
Lufthansa is gradually resuming Dubai–Frankfurt services today, October 26, after restarting Munich flights on October 25. For UAE-based travellers who have had to rebook or reroute around the regional conflict, the return of these links is welcome news, though schedules are being rebuilt in stages rather than all at once.
Airlines are urging passengers to confirm operating dates and flight status directly with their carrier before travelling, since services may not resume at the same pace across all routes.
Saudi routes remain the problem
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport reopened on October 25 after a two-week closure following attacks on the Saudi capital. Flightradar24 data showed that most scheduled departures were still cancelled despite the reopening.
Figures from aviation analytics firm Cirium show 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 per cent. Riyadh was hit hardest, with 4,071 of its 4,736 departures disrupted, or 85.96 per cent. Dammam recorded 823 of 1,956 departures disrupted, and Jeddah 1,402 of 6,380. Nationwide disruption peaked at 60.21 per cent on October 12, eased to 16.51 per cent on October 24, then climbed back to 44.23 per cent on October 25, the day Riyadh reopened.
What the UAE carriers are saying
Etihad Airways has extended cancellations of flights between Abu Dhabi and both Riyadh and Dammam through Thursday, November 5, and has also cancelled several Abu Dhabi–Jeddah services. flydubai has suspended flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha until October 29. Air Arabia has cancelled Sharjah flights to Riyadh, Abha, Dammam and Taif, with no resumption date announced.
Air India and Air India Express have suspended Riyadh and Dammam flights until November 7, with Jeddah services suspended until October 31. Other international carriers have also extended Saudi suspensions, with some Riyadh and Dammam services not due back until late November.
Other disruptions to note
Flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE remain suspended until further notice. Dubai–Tel Aviv services also remain affected following a September 30 security incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073, and Emirates’ codeshare operations with flydubai to and from Tel Aviv are suspended.
Dubai International’s arrivals board listed several cancellations on Monday, including Riyadh services operated by Saudia and Riyadh Air, while a number of flights from Jeddah, Dhaka, Baku and Manila were running late. Not every delay is linked to the regional situation; operational and technical issues also play a part.
Why the regional picturematters
Regional tensions remain high. Gulf News counts today as Day 240 of the US-Israel war with Iran, and the newspaper reports that official advice to avoid unnecessary travel continues. The mix of recovering European links and still-fragile Saudi connections shows how unevenly the aviation network is healing. Airlines appear more willing to restore long-haul services to Europe than to return quickly to routes close to areas under attack.
Practical advice for travellers
If you are flying out of Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah in the coming days, check your airline’s official status page before leaving for the airport. Review rebooking and refund options if your flight is cancelled. Allow extra time at the airport, as check-in counters at some carriers close 60 minutes before departure. Travellers booked on Saudi routes should be prepared for further schedule changes.
Airlines say they will announce further resumptions as conditions allow. For now, the picture is mixed: Europe is reconnecting, while Saudi Arabia remains the main pressure point.
