The UAE Government reported twelve ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drone attacks on Monday, May 4, 2026. A number of flights were delayed and cancelled as aircrafts in the airspace were rerouted to Muscat. While some landed in Dubai safely, several flights cautiously circled over Saudi Arabia until it was safe to land. Find here the latest updates on flight cancellations, disruptions and re-routes.
This report comes mere days after the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced that all operations are unrestricted in the air traffic space. While the latest disruption has set a few restrictions again, they have been limited. The situation seems to be tense as the authorities are doing a thorough assessment of security risks.
There have been rumours about the UAE airspace partially closing, but there is no confirmation by official authorities. We urge you to not indulge in rumours and fake forwards.
Airlines operating in the Middle East
Official authorities have confirmed that all flights in the affected airspace are operating on reduced and limited schedules.
The routes include Dubai International Airport (or DXB), Dubai World Central (DWC), Zayed International Airport Abu Dhabi, Bahrain International Airport, Hamad International Airport Doha, Kuwait International Airport, Imam Khomeini International Airport Tehran and Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv.
Emirates Airways
Emirates is advising all passengers to “check your flight status, even after you have checked in.” For those who are travelling until Sunday, May 31 – you can either request a refund or rebook another flight till Monday, June 15.
Emirates is also going one step beyond and easing passengers’ minds by giving one free date change to everyone who has booked after April 2, 2026. According to Flightradar24, Emirates is operating at 74.1% of its daily capacity.
Etihad Airways
Etihad is offering flights to a limited schedule of 80 destinations. These tickets can be booked on sale via their website, with additional destinations set as “conditions permit“. Etihad Airways is allowing a free rebooking option for tickets issued on or after Friday, March 6 – with travel scheduled up to March 31, 2027.
flydubai
Flydubai has “resumed its operations with a reduced schedule“. All passengers and customers are advised that the flight duration and transit times might be longer due to rerouting of flight plans.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways has resumed flights to the UAE (including Dubai and Sharjah), with plans to resume flights to Bahrain and Kozhikode in India. They are offering a complimentary date change up to October 31, 2026, for confirmed travel dates between February 28 and June 15.
Gulf Air is “gradually resuming” services. Air Arabia has started operating scheduled flights between Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and several international destinations.
Air India and Air India Express are operating “select services” – including limited number of flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi on ad-hoc basis. IndiGo is “operating select flights to/from the Middle East”. Flight movements are being monitored and schedules might change in line with regulatory guidance.
Which airlines have cancelled or suspended Middle East flights?
Air Canada has suspended all operating flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv up to September 7, 2026. Air France has ceased operating flights to Beirut, Dubai, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv till May 10, 2026.
British Airways has suspended flights to many Middle East destinations – including, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv – till July 1, 2026. Once back in July, it will work on a significantly reduced schedule with Dubai having one flight per day each way, and Doha and Tel Aviv will be halved.
Cathay Pacific has cancelled all flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh till June 30, 2026. Passengers with travel bookings till July 31 may rebook, reroute or get refunds on their tickets. Singapore Airlines have extended their suspension of flights between Singapore and Dubai until May 31, 2026.
Flynas has suspended all flights to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwair, Iraq and Syria. KLM has cancelled all flights to and from Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam till May 17, 2026. Lufthansa has suspended all flights to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat and Tehran till October 24, 2026. The Dubai and Tel Aviv routes are on pause till July 11, 2026.
Austrian Airlines on July 11, Eurowings on October 24, ITA Airways on July 11, Royal Air Maroc on May 31, SunExpress on June 7, Air Astana on May 31, airBaltic on September 7, Cebu Pacific on May 31, Finnair on July 3, and Pegasus on June 1, 2026.
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
While private work sectors are being urged to let employees work from home, schools and universities are set to stay closed till Saturday, May 8, 2026.
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.”
