Dubai: UAE travellers faced flight disruptions on Monday, October 12, with cancellations and delays affecting services from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Several flights linking the UAE with Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Abha, were affected, alongside services to other regional and international destinations.
Passengers were also advised to check updates for flights to and from Tel Aviv following the recent security incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073.
The UAE’s suspension of Iranian airline services to and from the country remains in place until further notice.
Travellers should check the latest information with their airline before leaving for the airport, as schedules and flight statuses may change.
For the latest updates, see today’s UAE-Saudi flight cancellations and delays.
Saudi flights
UAE-Saudi flight operations remained heavily disrupted on Monday, particularly on routes to Riyadh. Cirium data shows 362 of 1,048 scheduled departures from Saudi Arabia — 34.54 per cent — were cancelled or did not fly in the latest schedule snapshot, down from 56.84 per cent on Sunday.
Riyadh was the hardest-hit airport, with 353 of 354 scheduled departures — 99.72 per cent — cancelled or not flying on Sunday. The airport closure followed further attacks in the region.
For UAE travellers, Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia cancelled multiple services to Riyadh and Dammam, while some flights to Jeddah and other Saudi destinations continued to operate.
Important: Flight schedules remain subject to change. Check your airline’s official website or app for the latest information.
Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways cancelled selected flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh on October 12 and 13 because of regional disruption.
On Monday, the affected services included EY575, EY576, EY573 and EY574 between Abu Dhabi and Dammam; EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604 between Abu Dhabi and Jeddah; and EY559, EY560, EY555 and EY556 between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.
Etihad said the situation remained dynamic and further changes were possible, urging passengers to check the latest status of their flight before travelling.
Other Abu Dhabi flight updates included a delay to Etihad’s EY005 service to Washington.
Dubai
Dubai Airports recorded multiple cancellations on Monday, including Saudi Arabia-bound flights operated by Saudia, flynas and Riyadh Air.
Among the affected services were Saudia flights SV593, SV563, SV555, SV561 and SV553 to Riyadh; flynas flights XY216, XY206, XY208 and XY210; and Riyadh Air flight RX244.
Other cancellations included Air India Express IX192 to Amritsar, SpiceJet flights SG5023 to Mumbai, SG5153 and SG9153 to Kozhikode, SG5117 to Kochi, and flydubai FZ1149 to Benghazi. Several SpiceJet services were also delayed.
Important: This update includes flight cancellations, delays and schedule changes reported by airlines and airports. Not all of these disruptions are related to the conflict or regional security situation; some may be due to operational, technical or other reasons.
Flight status alert: Always check with your airline before leaving for the airport, as schedules can change at short notice.
Emirates
Emirates cancelled multiple Saudi Arabia services from Dubai on October 12 and 13.
Dubai-Riyadh: EK815, EK819 and EK817.
Dubai-Dammam: EK823, EK827 and EK821.
Dubai-Jeddah: EK801, EK805 and EK803.
Dubai-Medina: EK809 on October 12 and EK807 on October 13.
The airline said the affected flights were cancelled for operational reasons and asked customers to check their updated itineraries.
flydubai
flydubai cancelled its Dubai-Dammam services FZ883, FZ869, FZ863 and FZ867 on October 12 and 13.
Dubai-Riyadh services FZ847, FZ841 and FZ855 were also cancelled on both days.
Flights from Dubai to Jeddah, AlUla and Neom were operating as usual, according to the latest update. Passengers were advised to reconfirm their flight status before travelling to the airport.
Sharjah
Air Arabia’s affected services included Sharjah-Abha flight G9195 on October 12 and 13, Sharjah-Gassim flight G9070 on October 12, Sharjah-Riyadh flights G9151 and G9154 on October 12 and 13, and Sharjah-Taif flight G9187.
Other Air Arabia cancellations from Sharjah included G9244 to Yerevan, G9107 to Bahrain, G9341 to Chattogram and G9630 to Sohag.
Iran flights
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has suspended all flights operated by Iranian airlines following US sanctions on Iran’s civilian air fleet.
The suspension remains in place until further notice.
Tel Aviv flights
flydubai has suspended its routes to Israel following the security incident involving flight FZ1073 on September 30.
Passengers travelling to or from Tel Aviv should check the latest status with their airline before going to the airport.
Before you travel: Check your airline’s website or app for the latest flight status and schedule updates.
Travellers are advised: Check official airline channels for real-time flight updates before leaving for the airport.
Travel advisories
UK: The FCDO has removed its broad warning against all but essential travel to the UAE, but continues to warn about possible flight cancellations and airspace disruption.
US: The UAE remains at Level 3 — Reconsider Travel — with Washington citing terrorism, armed conflict and commercial flight disruption.
Australia: Travellers are advised to reconsider their need to travel to the UAE, citing the unpredictable regional security situation and possible airspace closures.
Canada: Travellers are advised to exercise a high degree of caution in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Europe: EASA’s conflict-zone information bulletin has been extended until November 16, 2026, warning flight operators to avoid UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia: The US Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia have urged US citizens to remain vigilant because of the potential for aerial drone or missile attacks.
International carriers
Lufthansa: Dubai-Munich services are due to resume on October 25 with five flights a week. Dubai-Frankfurt services are scheduled to resume on October 26, initially with four flights a week, rising to five from November 9.
SWISS: Daily Zurich-Dubai flights are scheduled to resume on October 27.
Eurowings: Berlin-Dubai services are due to resume daily from November 1, with four weekly Stuttgart-Dubai flights. Cologne/Bonn-Dubai services are scheduled to resume three times a week from November 3.
Austrian Airlines: Vienna-Dubai services are scheduled to resume five times a week from December 12.
Philippine Airlines: Dubai-Manila services have resumed, with bookings available from October 5.
Wizz Air: Selected Abu Dhabi routes have been postponed to January 10, 2027. Flights to Jordan remain suspended until October 25.
Singapore Airlines: SQ494 Singapore-Dubai and SQ495 Dubai-Singapore remain cancelled until December 1.
British Airways: Dubai services are scheduled to resume on November 3. Abu Dhabi services remain suspended until the winter 2027-28 season.
Air France: Dubai and Riyadh services remain suspended through October 24.
Cathay Pacific: Passenger flights to Dubai and Riyadh remain cancelled through January 31, 2027, with rebooking, rerouting and refund options available.
Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian and Edelweiss services to Abu Dhabi remain suspended through October 24, while Eurowings’ Abu Dhabi services are also suspended through that date.
What travellers should know
Check your individual flight status before leaving home, even if your booking was previously confirmed.
Arrive at least three hours before departure, or earlier if your airline advises it.
If flying from Dubai on flydubai, allow four hours, in line with the airline’s guidance.
Complete online check-in where available.
Allow extra time for road traffic, check-in, security and immigration.
Keep your contact details updated with your airline so you receive disruption alerts.
Be prepared for last-minute delays, cancellations and schedule changes.
Follow the official channels of your airline and airport for the latest information.