On November 10, 2026, multiple UAE-based carriers including Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, and Air Arabia reported widespread flight cancellations and delays affecting routes from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah airports.
Regional instability and escalating security incidents in the Gulf, including intercepted missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, have led to operational disruptions across key regional air routes.
Flight Disruptions Across UAE Airlines
Emirates cancelled several flights on November 9 affecting Dubai to Saudi Arabia destinations, including Dubai-Dammam flights EK823, EK827, EK821; Dubai-Riyadh flights EK815, EK819, EK817; and Dubai-Jeddah flight EK801. The status for November 10 has not been confirmed, but passengers face ongoing uncertainty.
Etihad Airways extended cancellations of all passenger and cargo flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, as well as Abu Dhabi and Dammam, through Thursday, November 19, 2026. Some Abu Dhabi-Jeddah flights resumed from November 6, although the situation remains fluid.
flydubai suspended Riyadh and Abha services through November 16, with flights planned to resume November 17. Dammam flights are scheduled to recommence on November 10, but several individual flights remain cancelled, including FZ883, FZ869, FZ863, and FZ867. Services to Jeddah, Madinah, Tabuk, Taif, and other Saudi destinations continue to operate amid uneven scheduling.
Air Arabia cancelled specific Sharjah-Saudi Arabia services
such as Sharjah-Abha G9195, Sharjah-Riyadh G9151 and G9154, and Sharjah-Jizan G9398. Other Saudi routes, including Sharjah-Dammam and Sharjah-Jeddah, continue operations.
Suspensions on UAE-Iran and UAE-Israel Air Routes
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority has suspended all flights by Iranian airlines Iran Airtour, Caspian Airlines, and Karun Airlines to and from the UAE until further notice.
Direct flights between UAE and Israel remain restricted. flydubai’s Dubai-Tel Aviv services are suspended through at least late November 2026, and Emirates has suspended Dubai-Tel Aviv flights alongside the related Emirates-flydubai codeshare. Etihad Airways continues to operate direct Abu Dhabi-Tel Aviv flights.
International Airlines Suspend or Postpone Saudi Arabia Flights
Numerous international airlines have cancelled or suspended Saudi routes due to regional security concerns:
IndiGo’s Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah flights cancelled through November
14. Air India and Air India Express suspended Riyadh and Dammam routes through November 14. Akasa Air halted Jeddah flights until November 18 and Riyadh until November 30. Air France suspended Riyadh flights until November 14. Lufthansa suspended Riyadh until November 18 and Dammam until November 30. Eurowings plans to resume Jeddah flights November 12. Cathay Pacific suspended Riyadh flights through January 31, 2027. Philippine Airlines suspended Riyadh flights until November 29. Scoot cancelled Singapore-Jeddah routes until December 2. ITA Airways suspended Riyadh flights until November 18. KLM suspended Riyadh and Dammam flights until November 27. Kuwait Airways, Pakistan International
Airlines, and other carriers have suspended Riyadh services with no confirmed resumption dates. Delta Air Lines postponed its planned Atlanta-Riyadh route launch to March 2027. Singapore Airlines delayed its non-stop Riyadh service launch until March 28, 2027.
Security Incidents and Travel Advisories
The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a ballistic missile, a cruise missile, and a drone launched on November 10 by Houthi forces targeting Riyadh and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
US President Donald Trump said military action against Iran was not immediately necessary after talks with Qatar’s prime minister, but stated the US remained “locked and loaded.” The US continues its naval blockade of
Iran amid ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Maritime threats include a fire on a tanker off Khasab waters and attacks on Oman’s Didamar Island radar systems. Vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz is about 65% below pre-conflict levels, with 170 outbound and 155 inbound vessel transits recorded by UKMTO.
European Union Aviation Safety Agency maintains conflict zone advisories for airspace over Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and the Persian Gulf until November 16, 2026.
Government travel advisories remain in place: The US Department of State issues a Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory for the UAE due to terrorism and security risks. The
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warns British nationals to prepare for airspace closures and flight cancellations. Global Affairs Canada and Australia’s Smartraveller echo concerns about missile and drone attacks causing travel disruptions.
