Last updated: 8 October 2026. Checked against government travel advice and each airline's own notices.
Flights are operating at Dubai International (DXB) and Abu Dhabi's Zayed International (AUH), but several foreign airlines have suspended their UAE flights into November 2026 or well into 2027, and governments warn that regional airspace can close at short notice. If you are flying in the coming months, confirm your exact flight with your airline shortly before you travel, sign up for your government's travel alerts, and keep a way to get those alerts on your phone once you land.
What governments are saying (as of 8 October 2026)
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) UAE travel advice was last updated on 24 July 2026 and is marked "still current" on 8 October 2026. It says the situation in the Middle East "remains unpredictable", that since 8 July 2026 there have been strikes and retaliatory attacks by Iran in a number of locations across the region, and that there is "a risk of more attacks and unforeseen escalation in the region."
The same FCDO page tells British nationals in the Middle East to be prepared for "possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions", to follow advice from the local authorities, and to monitor updates on airports and airspace "which could close at short notice."
The US State Department rates the UAE at Level 3: Reconsider Travel "due to terrorism and armed conflict". Its latest update, dated 29 August 2026, made no change to the level and says that since hostilities began on 28 February 2026 there has been "an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and significant disruptions to commercial flights."
Australia's Smartraveller also publishes UAE advice. Its page did not load for us on 8 October 2026, so check its current advice level directly before you travel.
The September flare-up at DXB and AUH
On 2 and 3 September 2026, renewed US and Iran fighting caused delays and some cancellations at both DXB and AUH, according to The National, which reported that Etihad had delays on more than a dozen routes and that airlines warned timings could change at short notice. This is a press report; we did not find an airport or regulator statement about those two days.
Foreign airline schedules (as of 8 October 2026)
Each row below comes from the airline's own notice. Dates are the airline's. Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Air Canada have each pushed their dates back during 2026, so treat any date as the earliest possible return, not a promise.
| Airline | Route | Status | Source and date of notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Airlines | Singapore to Dubai (SQ494/SQ495) | Cancelled until 1 December 2026 | SIA advisory, updated 1 October 2026 |
| Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong to Dubai | Cancelled up to and including 31 January 2027 | Cathay notice, updated 28 September 2026 |
| Air Canada | Toronto to Dubai | Cancelled until the end of March 2027 | Air Canada notice, updated 24 September 2026 |
| Finnair | Helsinki to Dubai | No flights from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027 | Finnair bulletin, updated 25 August 2026 |
| SWISS | Zurich to Dubai | Daily flights planned to resume 27 October 2026 | SWISS newsroom, 9 September 2026 |
Press reports also describe plans by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, KLM, Air France and Wizz Air, but we could not confirm those dates on the airlines' own pages, so they are not in the table. Reports on Wizz Air's UAE winter flights conflict, so check with Wizz Air directly if you are booked with them.
Singapore Airlines says customers affected by its Dubai cancellations can seek a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket. Cathay Pacific says affected travelers can rebook, reroute or refund.
Emirates and Etihad
Emirates' travel updates page, last updated 5 October 2026, lists a suspension of its codeshare flights with flydubai to and from Tel Aviv and does not announce any general suspension of its Dubai flights. Emirates asks customers to keep their contact details current in Manage Your Booking so they receive updates.
We did not find an Etihad notice announcing a general suspension of its Abu Dhabi flights as of 8 October 2026. Check your own flight on Etihad's flight status page before you leave for the airport.
If airspace closes while you are in the UAE
The FCDO's advice for anyone in the region, as of its 24 July 2026 update, is practical and worth following whatever your nationality:
- Follow the local authorities. If you are told to take shelter, the FCDO says to stay indoors or go to the nearest safe building or designated shelter, ideally an interior stairwell or a room with as few external walls or windows as possible. It says the greatest risk is from falling debris caused by intercepts.
- Do not touch debris. The FCDO says not to approach or touch any drone or missile fragments or unusual objects.
- Let your airline tell you when you fly. Keep your booking contact details current in the airline's app or website, and do not go to the airport for a flight that has not been confirmed. Dubai Airports publishes live departures and arrivals on dubaiairports.ae.
- Register with your government. UK travelers can sign up for FCDO email alerts. US citizens can enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which the State Department says helps the embassy contact you in an emergency. Other nationalities should use their own embassy's registration or alert service.
- Keep your documents ready. The FCDO asks travelers to keep departure plans under review and travel documents up to date. The State Department advises having a plan to leave in an emergency that does not depend on US government help.
Passenger rights if your flight is cancelled
The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) applies a Passenger Welfare Program regulation (CAR-PWP, Issue 02), in force since 1 January 2025, to airlines flying to and from UAE airports. For a cancellation it requires the airline to inform you as early as practicable, offer care as appropriate (refreshments, meals, hotel, transport and a means of communication), and carry you on another flight as soon as practicable or offer a return to your origin or rerouting. It does not set fixed cash compensation amounts.
For delays at a UAE airport, the GCAA regulation requires free meals and refreshments for anticipated delays of 3 to 8 hours, and a hotel plus transport if the anticipated delay exceeds 8 hours.
If your flight is covered by EU air passenger rights (for example a flight from the EU, or a flight into the EU on an EU airline), a cancelled flight entitles you to a refund or rerouting and free assistance. The EU says fixed compensation is not owed when the airline proves the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances, which explicitly include security risks and political instability.
Staying connected
In this situation the information that matters reaches you through your phone: airline rebooking messages, your government's email alerts, the airline app, flight status on dubaiairports.ae, and local news. A data plan that works the moment you land keeps all of that flowing without depending on hotel Wi-Fi. Airlines may send rebooking texts to the phone number on your booking, so if your phone takes two SIMs, keep your home line active for texts alongside a data eSIM, with data roaming turned off on the home line.
Two limits to be clear about. A travel eSIM is data only and does not change UAE rules on internet calling: voice and video calling over the internet is regulated by the UAE's telecoms regulator, the TDRA, and an eSIM does not unblock any calling app. And do not rely on a data eSIM for official emergency alerts; follow the local authorities and your government's alert service instead.
Our guide to an eSIM for Dubai and the UAE covers networks and setup, and our Dubai International airport guide covers connectivity on arrival. Check first that your phone supports eSIM, and compare options in travel eSIM vs international roaming.
Compare our UAE eSIM plans and install one before you fly.
FAQ
Is UAE airspace open right now?
Flights were operating at Dubai International and Zayed International on 8 October 2026, and Dubai Airports was publishing live departures that day, but the UK FCDO warns that airspace in the region could close at short notice. Check your flight with your airline on the day you travel.
Which airlines have suspended flights to Dubai?
As of 8 October 2026, the airlines' own notices show Singapore Airlines cancelling Dubai flights until 1 December 2026, Cathay Pacific until 31 January 2027, Air Canada until the end of March 2027, and Finnair from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. Several of these dates have already been pushed back, so check the airline before booking.
Are Emirates and Etihad still flying?
Emirates' travel updates page, last updated 5 October 2026, announces no general suspension of its Dubai flights, only a suspension of codeshare flights with flydubai to Tel Aviv. We found no Etihad notice of a general suspension as of 8 October 2026.
What should I do if I am told to take shelter in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?
Follow the local authorities. The UK FCDO advises staying indoors or going to the nearest safe building or shelter, ideally a room with few external walls or windows, and never touching drone or missile fragments.
Am I owed compensation if my UAE flight is cancelled?
The UAE GCAA's Passenger Welfare Program requires care and rebooking or rerouting but sets no fixed cash compensation. Under EU rules, where they apply, compensation is not owed for cancellations caused by extraordinary circumstances such as security risks, though refund or rerouting and assistance still apply.
Will a travel eSIM let me make WhatsApp or FaceTime calls in the UAE?
A travel eSIM will not change whether those calls work. It is data only, and internet calling in the UAE is governed by the TDRA's rules whichever SIM you use.
Facts checked on 8 October 2026 against the UK FCDO, the US Embassy in the UAE, the UAE GCAA, the EU's Your Europe portal, and notices from Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Air Canada, Finnair, SWISS and Emirates. Airline dates in this region have been extended repeatedly in 2026, so confirm your own flight with the airline before you travel.