Anyone flying from the UAE this week is dealing with two realities at once. Airlines are returning to Dubai in growing numbers ahead of the busy winter season. Regional tensions are still cancelling and delaying flights, especially on routes to Saudi Arabia.
Gulf News reported that operations at UAE airports remained mixed on Wednesday. Etihad, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia all issued updates on cancellations, suspensions and resumptions across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
Europe’s carriers come back
The most encouraging signs are on the European side. British Airways resumed its daily London Heathrow–Dubai service on November 3. Lufthansa plans to restart five weekly flights each from Frankfurt and Munich on November 25. SWISS will restore daily Zurich–Dubai flights and Eurowings daily Berlin–Dubai flights on the same date. Austrian Airlines follows on December 12 with five weekly services from Vienna.
Some carriers are already back. Philippine Airlines returned to Dubai International on October 21, joining Cebu Pacific on the Manila route, and each airline operates four weekly flights. Air Astana has restored its Kazakhstan connections, and Aegean Airlines has resumed Athens–Dubai services. Gulf News said Dubai could see up to 36 weekly flights to European destinations as more services return between late October and December.
Capacity is also recovering. UAE airports handled 7.2 million seats in October, up 23 per cent from June.
Longer absences for several airlines
Not every carrier is rushing back. Singapore Airlines has suspended flights SQ494 and SQ495 until February 28, 2027. Cathay Pacific has paused Dubai services until January 31, 2027, and Air Canada until the end of March 2027. KLM’s suspension runs to March 27, 2027, and Finnair has halted Dubai flights for the whole 2026/27 winter season. Korean Air has given no return date, and Virgin Atlantic does not expect to be back before 2027.
Others have postponed. ITA Airways has suspended Dubai services until November 30, and Luxair has pushed its return to February 2027 at the earliest.
Saudi routes remain the pressure point
Saudi Arabia is where disruption is heaviest. Etihad has extended the suspension of all passenger and cargo flights between Abu Dhabi and both Riyadh and Dammam until November 19. It plans to resume selected Abu Dhabi–Jeddah flights, numbered EY601 to EY604, from November 6, and other Jeddah services are running as scheduled. Etihad says the situation remains fluid.
Emirates has cancelled several flights to Dammam and Riyadh, and its Jeddah schedule is a mix of cancelled and operating services. Medina flights are listed as scheduled or already arrived. flydubai continues to operate selected Saudi services, though status information is unavailable for several destinations. Gulf News points out that missing status data does not necessarily mean a flight has been cancelled.
Air Arabia has listed cancellations across a wide range of routes from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, including Baku, Cairo, Amman, Almaty, Kuwait, Colombo, Dhaka, Nairobi, Doha, Bangkok and London Gatwick. Many international airlines have also adjusted Saudi services, including IndiGo, Air India, Lufthansa, KLM and Air France.
Other services still suspended
Flights by Iranian carriers to and from the UAE remain suspended until further notice. The Emirates–flydubai codeshare flights to Tel Aviv also remain on hold. Affected passengers should contact their airline about rebooking or refunds.
What passengers should know about airport boards
Dubai’s flight information board on Wednesday showed delays on several SpiceJet services linking Dubai with Indian cities, and cancellations on flynas flights to Riyadh and Gassim. At Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, several arrivals were delayed, including services from Goa, Tel Aviv, Charlotte, Kathmandu and Lisbon, while no departure delays were reported.
New rules and perks
Emirates passengers travelling to or through the United States must complete and sign a separate attestation form before check-in, confirming they have not been to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the previous 21 days. A printed copy is needed. Gulf News also noted entry restrictions for travellers who have recently been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan, unless they have spent more than 21 days outside those countries.
At Dubai airport, Emirates’ First Class Lounge in Terminal 3, Concourse C, is temporarily closed, and passengers can use Concourse B instead.
There are positives for visitors. From November, tourists can apply for single-entry and multiple-entry visas through the Visit Dubai website, with applications processed by GDRFA. Dubai is also launching an invitation-only “Access Club” for repeat visitors. flydubai offers eligible connecting passengers a free 24-hour hotel stay in Dubai when they select the tagged fare at booking, and a city check-in service at its Sharjah Travel Shop costs Dh30 per passenger.
Practical advice
- Check your flight on the airline’s own website or app before leaving home.
- Allow extra time for check-in, especially on busy days.
- If your route involves Saudi Arabia, look at rebooking or refund options early.
- Keep an eye on the wider regional situation, which can change schedules at short notice.
With the winter season approaching, the picture should improve gradually. For now, a quick check before leaving for the airport remains the most useful habit.
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