The UAE Guides

UAE: 22 Flights Suspended and 178 Delays as Regional Tensions Escalate

· 2 min read News
Flights departing Dubai International Airport

Contents

  1. Affected Routes and Carriers
  2. What to Do Before You Fly
  3. Ongoing Disruption

A new wave of flight suspensions hit UAE airports on 9 July 2026, with flydubai, Emirates, and Akasa Air collectively cancelling 22 flights and logging 178 delays across Dubai International, Sharjah International, and Abu Dhabi airports as Middle East regional tensions intensified.

Sharjah International Airport separately recorded 3 cancellations and 67 delays on the same date. The disruptions are tied to restricted and contested airspace across the wider region following the renewal of US–Iran hostilities.

Affected Routes and Carriers

  • flydubai suspended multiple routes including its Dubai–Colombo service, effective 10 July until further notice
  • Emirates reported service disruptions on Gulf and regional routes
  • Akasa Air cancelled India-UAE flights
  • Routes to and from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Iran are among the most severely disrupted

Beyond the July 9 event, a broader set of international airlines has suspended Dubai operations through the summer, including British Airways (until 25 October), KLM (until 23 August), Air Canada, and others, citing regional security risk.

What to Do Before You Fly

If you are travelling to or from the UAE in the coming days:

  1. Check your flight status directly with your airline — do not rely on airport boards alone
  2. Allow extra time — delays of several hours are occurring even on flights that do operate
  3. Review your travel insurance to confirm it covers disruption caused by regional security events
  4. Rebook or refund — under EU261/2004 and UK equivalent rules, if your flight is cancelled you are entitled to a full refund or rerouting at no charge

The situation is being reassessed by carriers on a rolling basis. Airlines that have suspended services may resume rapidly once airspace conditions allow.

Ongoing Disruption

This follows a period in June during which advisories from multiple countries were downgraded after an initial ceasefire. The 9 July developments represent a material escalation from the relative stability of early July.

For those already in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, the ground situation in the UAE itself remains calm. Our Dubai and Abu Dhabi city guides cover transport alternatives, and our UAE practical guide has current visa and entry information.

We are tracking this situation and will post further updates as the airspace picture develops.