Travellers departing the UAE on 29 September were greeted with a patchwork of schedule changes after Air Canada pushed its Dubai service suspension out to March 2027, citing regional security concerns. The decision has knocked out another daily wide-body slot at Dubai International (DXB) and is forcing codeshare partners to re-protect passengers via European hubs. According to airport bulletins compiled by Algulf News, more than a dozen flights across flydubai and Air Arabia were also cancelled or delayed, with knock-on effects at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport. Etihad operated normally but urged travellers to monitor flight-status apps given the fluid situation. Corporate travel managers with crew rotations through Dubai are advised to double-check Minimum Connection Times: some banks have reinstated longer approval windows for expense claims because of the extra layover risks. Shippers using belly-hold cargo on the affected routes should move time-sensitive freight to Emirates or Qatar Airways, both of which still show healthy capacity into Toronto via intermediate points. Analysts note that while the UAE’s overall network resilience remains strong—DXB still schedules around 485 departures today—any further long-haul cancellations could tighten premium-cabin inventory during the COP-31 climate summit in Abu Dhabi this November. Hotels close to DXB are already reporting higher mid-week occupancy as airlines re-accommodate mis-connected passengers. For travellers holding Air Canada tickets, full refunds or re-routing via Frankfurt or London are being offered. However, frequent-flyer upgrade certificates are not guaranteed to carry over to partner airlines, something mobility managers should flag to executives.
Source: Algulf News
