If you’re in the Dubai heat right now, you are probably planning trips to faraway destinations to escape the heat. However, amidst all the conflict and alarms raised, it’s difficult to know which airlines are running in the Middle East. While the situation is still progressing and countries are attempting to understand safety advisories, here are the latest updates on flight cancellations, disruptions and re-routes.
Airlines cancelling flights and suspending air routes in the Middle East
Passengers travelling on routes between Dubai, Sharjah and Abha are urged to check their flight status before heading to the airport, as fresh cancellations are appearing on both departure and arrival boards.
Which airlines have suspended flight operations in the Middle East?
Air France has suspended flights to Dubai, Riyadh, Tel Aviv and Beirut due to uncertain situations in the Middle East. Schedules are subject to change based on developments.
Air Canada has suspended all operating flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until October 24, 2026.
Air Astana has ceased operating flights to UAE again. The airline stopped UAE operations on July 13, just days after planning to restore Dubai services. Full refunds and free rebooking available up to July 31.
Cathay Pacific has cancelled all flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh till August 31, 2026. Tickets are on sale again from September 1.
Philippine Airlines has resumed its Manila-Doha route. The Manila-Dubai route remains suspended till October 2.
Singapore Airlines have extended their suspension of flights between Singapore and Dubai until October 24, 2026. Customers affected by the cancellation can get a full refund.
KLM has cancelled all flights to and from Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam until August 23, 2026.
Lufthansa Group has suspended all flights to Dubai till September 13. Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat and Tehran on hold until October 24 across Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. Tel Aviv routes have resumed for Austrian, Swiss and Lufthansa, but not Brussels Airlines.
Which flights and airlines are running on-schedule in the Middle East?
Emirates Airways have no major cancellations or delays. The airline is expecting a high volume of passengers in peak summer season. Emirates is currently flying to 137 destinations across 72 countries as it rebuilds its network. Rebooking and refund options are available, depending on booking conditions.
Etihad Airways has announced delays to its Abu Dhabi-Toronto service on July 17, due to operational reasons. They are urging passengers to expect delays in flights and reroutes if necessary.
Flydubai has resumed its operations ahead of the busy summer travel period. All passengers must know that flight duration and transit times might be longer due to rerouting of flight plans. Passengers should also check in online and arrive to Dubai International four hours before departure.
IndiGo has decided to continue operating Gulf routes from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Flight movements are being monitored and announced temporary suspension of operations to Langkawi, Krabi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong and Shanghai starting July 1, and Siem Reap from July 3 until September 30. Flights to Manchester remain cancelled till August 31.
Air India and Air India Express are operating as scheduled, but has warned of possible airspace-related disruptions. A direct flight from Navi Mumbai to Abu Dhabi was also announced on July 15.
Gulf Air is restoring its network. The airline is expanding its fleet and launching new routes.
Air Arabia is increasing its operations from Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and several international destinations. New flights to Rome and London Gatwick have been announced.
Qatar Airways has continues to expand its network. It will resume daily Doha-Philadelphia flights from August 1 and increased the Doha-Dubai flights from two to five a day.
Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Damascus, Beirut and Amman. The Dubai flight frequency has doubled to 14 weekly flights from June 25, 2026. Iran flights remain suspended.
Jazeera Airways have restored services to destinations including Dubai, Cairo, Beirut and Istanbul. The occasional Kuwaiti airspace closures could still continue to cause delays.
British Airways has extended its flexible booking policy for passengers travelling to and from Middle East destinations, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Tel Aviv, Amman, Jeddah and Riyadh. If you have a ticket between April 1 to October 31, you can request a full refund – even if the flight is scheduled to operate. Passengers can also change travel dates, rebook another British Airways route without a change fee (although fare difference may apply).
Cebu Pacific has resumed its Manila-Dubai route with flights running four times weekly.
Flynas is expanding its international network with new routes to Aleppo, Munich, Budapest and Alexandria.
Royal Jordanian is operating while the Jordanian airspace remains open. Free changes and refunds are offered to all passengers.
What you can do as a stranded passenger
Avoid travelling to the airport if you are unsure about your flight status. It is advised that you only head to the airport once you confirm with the airline. You can also monitor official channels of airports and reach out to the airlines for help.
Reddit and Twitter users are advising passengers with delayed flights to contact hotels or Airbnb hosts to extend stays and negotiate better rates. Community groups, WhatsApp forwards and social media accounts are extending free or discounted accommodation options to stranded passengers. Some Dubai residents are going the extra mile and opening their homes to those in need.
A list of emergency numbers in the UAE that you can use:
- 999 for Police
- 998 for Ambulance
- 997 for Fire Department (Civil Defence)
- 996 for Coastguard
- 995 for Find and Rescue
- 991 for Electricity Failure
Amidst all this uncertainty, officials have urged residents and tourists to stay indoors and stay safe. Their proactive approach is bringing relief to thousands of people in the UAE. The Ministry of Defence stressed in March 2026 that it remains “fully prepared and ready to address any threats and is taking all necessary measures to decisively confront anything that seeks to undermine the country’s security and stability.”
