Gulf News reported widespread flight cancellations on 22 July 2026 as Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai and Air Arabia pulled multiple services to Kuwait City and Bahrain. The carriers cited “operational reasons linked to the regional situation,” a phrase widely understood to reference renewed missile exchanges between Iran-aligned militias and US forces. Emirates scrubbed more than 20 rotations—including EK 853/854 and EK 835/836—while Etihad suspended Abu Dhabi–Kuwait flights EY 653/654 until at least 24 July and pulled Bahrain services EY 647/648 scheduled for 23 July. Flydubai and Air Arabia issued similar alerts, urging passengers to verify flight status online and arrive three hours early for departures from Dubai International (DXB) or Abu Dhabi Zayed International (AUH). The disruption comes at the height of the school-holiday exodus, compounding demand on already-busy re-routing corridors across Saudi airspace. HR-travel managers should audit upcoming itineraries for Kuwait and Bahrain, offer virtual attendance options for meetings where possible, and remind staff to monitor airline SMS/e-mail notifications. Companies with time-critical cargo should consult freight forwarders about switching to road or sea links. Dubai Airports maintained that all three UAE hubs remain fully operational, but security wait-times have lengthened. Travellers are therefore advised to use online check-in, baggage-drop counters and the Dubai Metro to reach DXB’s Terminal 3, where kerbside vehicle checks have been intensified. Industry analysts note that insurance surcharges on Gulf routes have climbed 35-40 % since hostilities resumed in late June, costs that may be passed on through fuel and war-risk surcharges in the weeks ahead.
Source: Gulf News
