The Gulf’s Airline Map Is Reopening, but Not Evenly

Air travel to and from the United Arab Emirates is recovering unevenly, according to flight-status roundups published on November 3. Regional tensions involving the United States and Iran continue to disrupt schedules, and each airline appears to be making its own call about when to return. UAE airports handled 7.2 million seats in October, which is 23 percent more than in June.

The returns are staggered. British Airways resumed daily Heathrow to Dubai flights on November 3, while Lufthansa, SWISS and Eurowings are due back on November 25 and Austrian on December 12. Philippine Airlines, Air Astana and Aegean have already restarted service. The picture looks different for other long-haul brands: Cathay Pacific has suspended flights until January 31, 2027, Singapore Airlines until February 28, 2027, KLM until March 27, 2027, and Air Canada through the end of March 2027.

Day-to-day cancellations are concentrated on routes to Saudi Arabia. Etihad cancelled Abu Dhabi flights to Dammam and Riyadh, plus some to Jeddah, through November 5, and Emirates dropped several Dubai flights to Dammam and Riyadh. Air Arabia cancelled roughly 17 Abu Dhabi routes and more than 50 Sharjah routes. At Dubai International, 11 arrivals and 11 departures were cancelled on the day, most of them Saudi-bound.

For anyone with a Gulf connection booked in the coming weeks, the practical advice is to check the operating airline’s own notices rather than relying on a booking site. Gulf News reports that Emirates and flydubai codeshares with Tel Aviv also remain on hold. Rules on refunds and rebooking vary by carrier and ticket, so it is worth confirming options early.

Sources: Gulf News, Dubai Standard