Gulf tensions trigger fresh wave of UAE flight delays and cancellations

Airlines operating to and from the United Arab Emirates spent another frenetic morning re-working schedules as geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continued to roil regional airspace on September 15. Gulf News reports that Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia all cancelled or delayed services at Dubai International (DXB) and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International (AUH) airports. Cancellations ranged from long-haul routes such as Dubai–Boston (EK 237) to short regional hops including Abu Dhabi–Cairo (3L 431). At Sharjah, Air Arabia scrubbed multiple Kuwait and Bahrain rotations, while several foreign carriers such as Qeshm Airlines, SpiceJet and Jazeera Airways pulled Middle-East services altogether. Although some flights were disrupted by technical issues or crew availability, most airlines blamed rapidly changing risk assessments linked to the US-Iran conflict. The re-routing of traffic around no-fly zones has added block time and fuel burn, while insurers have hiked war-risk premia on aircraft hulls transiting the Gulf. This has left carriers balancing commercial pressure to keep gateways open with the operational imperative of crew and passenger safety. Airports and airlines are urging travellers to complete online check-in, arrive at least four hours before departure and monitor official channels up to the minute they leave home. Travel advisers in corporate mobility teams should anticipate higher costs as carriers attempt to recover fuel and insurance surcharges, and they should build slack into itineraries for connecting passengers whose onward flights may depart from other Gulf hubs. For multinational employers, the biggest near-term concern is duty of care. Security managers are reviewing evacuation protocols for assignees in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar—routes that frequently rely on UAE transit points. Meanwhile, logistics teams face potential shipment delays as the same tensions that disrupt air corridors also slow tanker traffic through Hormuz, raising freight rates across the board.