According to an Algulf News survey of airline data on 21 September, Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia continue to operate the majority of services from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, but selective delays and cancellations persist amid regional instability. Emirates maintained key routes to Bahrain and Kuwait, while Etihad reported late departures to Dammam and Jeddah. Flydubai cancelled its morning Bahrain service (FZ029) and Yanbu flight (FZ817), and Air Arabia cut several Kuwait and Bahrain rotations from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. International carriers are taking a cautious approach: British Airways, Wizz Air and Air Astana have firm restart dates in October and November, whereas Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and others have suspended Dubai operations until late October at the earliest. Advisories from the US, UK and Australia continue to rate the UAE as ‘reconsider travel’ due to proximity to conflict zones, but airports remain open. For corporate mobility programmes the implication is clear: flight status must be verified segment by segment, even on the day of travel, and contingency routings should be pre-authorised. Employers should remind assignees to use online check-in, keep contact details updated and allow extra time for security screening. Travel-management companies recommend avoiding tight connections through regional hubs and booking fully flexible fares where budgets permit, given that operational decisions are changing hourly in response to geopolitical developments and weather risks such as fog.
Source: Algulf News
