The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) confirmed on 25 July 2026 that the country’s air-navigation system is functioning “fully normally” following the phased lifting of precautionary restrictions introduced in March during the Iran–US hostilities. The announcement, issued via state news agency WAM, follows a joint security review with defence and airport stakeholders. All temporary rerouting measures imposed on commercial airlines operating to, from and over the Emirates have now been rescinded. Although the regional security picture remains fluid, the GCAA said real-time monitoring will continue around-the-clock and that contingency flight paths can be activated at short notice should threats re-emerge. During the four-month precautionary period carriers absorbed longer block times and higher fuel costs, while transit passengers faced knock-on delays. International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates suggest Gulf carriers collectively incurred more than US $120 million in additional operating expenses. The return to normal routings is therefore significant for multinationals that use Dubai or Abu Dhabi as regional hubs. Finance and professional-services firms told Global Mobility News they can now resume same-day ‘there-and-back’ client visits to Bahrain, Kuwait and Doha that were previously impossible because of elongated flight times. Risk managers, however, caution companies not to dismantle updated duty-of-care protocols put in place during the crisis. Many have integrated dynamic traveller-tracking and mass-notification apps that proved valuable when sorties spilled into commercial air corridors in April; these are now viewed as permanent tools rather than temporary patches. For mobility teams the development also influences relocation timing. Several expatriate households deferred summer moves pending clarity on air-freight insurance premiums; cargo insurers say surcharges will be reviewed in August if the security picture holds.
Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)
