Air travellers woke up on 21 September to another day of shifting flight schedules as Gulf News issued a comprehensive ‘flight-status today’ bulletin covering Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia operations. While Dubai International (DXB) and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International (AUH) remained fully open, dozens of departures to Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were delayed or cancelled overnight as carriers reassessed routings around sensitive Gulf airspace. The update follows a new US State Department warning that urges citizens to ‘reconsider travel’ to parts of the region because of the ongoing US-Iran confrontation. According to the bulletin, Etihad maintained most Saudi services but delayed flights to Dammam and Jeddah; Emirates operated Bahrain and Kuwait rotations but advised passengers to arrive four hours early; flydubai cancelled flights FZ029 (Dubai–Bahrain) and FZ817 (Dubai–Yanbu); and Air Arabia scrubbed five Kuwait and Bahrain sectors from Sharjah. International carriers remain cautious: British Airways, Lufthansa, SWISS, KLM and Singapore Airlines have suspended Dubai services until late October, while Wizz Air and Air Astana plan phased resumptions next month. Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths told an earlier media briefing that DXB capacity has climbed back to 84 percent of pre-war levels, yet ‘geopolitical variables’ could slow the rebound. Aviation insurers report premium surcharges of up to 15 percent for flights crossing the Strait of Hormuz, a cost that airlines say will be absorbed ‘for now’ to preserve demand. Corporate-travel managers are therefore urged to book flexible fares and monitor live updates via airline apps or API feeds integrated into global distribution systems. From a mobility-risk perspective, experts counsel companies to maintain traveller-tracking protocols, ensure employees have emergency funds, and brief staff on alternative routings through Muscat (MCT) or Doha (DOH) should airspace closures escalate. The piece also reminds leisure passengers that tickets bought through online travel agencies may require revalidation through the original vendor, not the airline desk, potentially adding to airport-queue frustration. Although no new visa measures have been introduced at UAE borders, immigration officers note that passengers holding paper visas for onward Gulf countries should reconfirm entry validity if their arrival date shifts. With the UN General Assembly opening in New York today, diplomats are watching whether a rumoured Trump-Pezeshkian meeting reduces tensions and stabilises flight operations in the days ahead.
Source: Gulf News
