Flight delays and cancellations persist at UAE airports amid regional tensions

Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport (AUH) handled most scheduled movements on Friday, 18 September 2026, yet the day began with a fresh round of revised departure times and selective cancellations. Gulf News data show more than two dozen Emirates and flydubai services pushed back by 20-90 minutes, while flydubai scrubbed its pair of Abha rotations (FZ 815/816) and Air Arabia cancelled multiple Kuwait, Bahrain and Abha services from Sharjah. Although the disruptions were modest compared with the mass groundings seen at the height of the US-Iran conflict earlier this month, they underline how fragile regional aviation flows remain. Airlines continue to reroute around restricted airspace over parts of Iran, Iraq and Israel, adding block-time and stretching crew rosters. Industry sources say technical delays are rising as aircraft cycle times lengthen, while reactionary knock-ons leave little slack in hub schedules. Airport operators have urged passengers to arrive at least three hours before departure and to monitor airline apps for last-minute gate or timing changes. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) reiterated that the UAE’s own airspace is open and safe, but warned that “events beyond the country’s borders can affect upstream schedules.” For multinational companies the message is to build extra travel buffers into itineraries, purchase fully flexible tickets where possible and review duty-of-care tracking for staff transiting the Gulf. HR teams are also being reminded to verify that UAE entry visas remain valid if staff are forced to spend unexpected nights in third-country transit points. With the UN General Assembly opening in New York next week – and no sign of a ceasefire between the US and Iran – analysts expect a rolling pattern of delays, particularly on services linking the UAE with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. The situation, they add, is likely to stabilise only once government travel advisories in Europe and North America are downgraded.