- Major international airlines extended flight suspensions across the Middle East through late October twenty twenty-six.
- Travelers face reduced direct options for Dubai, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv despite UAE airports remaining operational.
- Rising insurance costs and airspace security concerns are driving the patchwork of route cancellations.
Three major international carriers have extended Middle East route suspensions, leaving travelers with fewer direct options even as UAE airports continue operating. Air France has suspended Dubai through August 11, Singapore Airlines has extended its Singapore-Dubai pause through October 24, and British Airways has kept Dubai, Bahrain, Amman, and Tel Aviv out of its schedule through October 25.
The immediate impact is route-specific. Travelers may still reach the UAE, but some direct journeys now require a later departure, a connection, or another carrier.
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The French carrier also lists Riyadh through August 7 and Beirut through August 18. Those dates show how uneven the schedule has become across the region.
Some services are returning. Others are moving deeper into the autumn timetable.
Lufthansa and SWISS are not scheduled to resume Dubai flights until September 13. Other Lufthansa Group services to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat, and Tehran remain suspended until October 24.
Air Canada has extended Dubai and Tel Aviv suspensions to October 24. Finnair has kept Helsinki-Dubai suspended until the same date, while Philippine Airlines continues its Dubai suspension through October 2.
The current pattern does not amount to a full UAE aviation shutdown. It is a patchwork of city-pair decisions shaped by security, airspace, insurance, and operating-cost concerns.
Suspension dates now stretch from early August to late October
The latest dates vary by airline and destination. The schedule below separates the principal suspensions currently identified.
| Carrier or group | Suspended route or destinations | Current suspension date |
|---|---|---|
| French carrier | Dubai | August 11 |
| French carrier | Riyadh | August 7 |
| French carrier | Beirut | August 18 |
| Singapore carrier | Singapore-Dubai | October 24 |
| British carrier | Dubai, Bahrain, Amman, Tel Aviv | October 25 |
| Lufthansa and SWISS | Dubai | September 13 |
| Lufthansa Group | Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat, Tehran | October 24 |
| Air Canada | Dubai and Tel Aviv | October 24 |
| Finnair | Helsinki-Dubai | October 24 |
| Philippine Airlines | Dubai | October 2 |
KLM has kept Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam suspended until September 6. Air Astana has suspended flights from Almaty and Astana to Dubai until August 31.
The Kazakh airline cited “the further deterioration of the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf area.”
Turkish Airlines, by contrast, has resumed flights to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Damascus, Beirut, and Amman. The contrasting decisions leave travelers checking individual routes rather than relying on a carrier’s wider regional schedule.
Selected Gulf routes remain cancelled while the wider UAE network operates
UAE airlines continue flying broadly, although several short-haul Gulf links have been cancelled. Etihad services between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, along with Abu Dhabi-Kuwait flights, are among the affected routes.
Air Arabia has also cancelled services from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Abha. The changes narrow some regional options without closing the UAE’s main aviation network.
Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves said the airline was operating at 110% of last year’s capacity after aggressive new route launches. He said the carrier could only “break even” this year because fuel and insurance costs were weighing on its finances.
The pressure extends beyond one airline. Emirates removed 6 international routes that operated in August 2025: Baghdad, Algiers, Bahrain, Basra, Tehran, and Damascus.
Sir Tim Clark, Emirates’ president, said the carrier had “no intention of cutting back.” He also warned that “weaker airlines could fail” if the conflict continued for another six months.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said an “insurance crisis” was preventing some foreign carriers from restoring service. He projected an 80-85% operational recovery by year-end.
Insurance and airspace concerns continue to shape schedules
The current crisis followed the outbreak of hostilities on February 28, 2026. The Strait of Hormuz and surrounding airspace have since become central to airline planning.
By mid-July 2026, insurance companies had begun withdrawing coverage for flights over certain “high-risk” zones. Carriers then faced a higher financial barrier to restoring routes, even where airport operations continued.
Fuel prices ranging from $95 to $110 per barrel have added to the strain on mid-tier and budget airlines. Higher premiums and longer routings can make a reinstated flight difficult to operate profitably.
The UAE is still pursuing longer-term connectivity. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, signed a five-year agreement with Egypt on July 29 to expand air services.
That agreement sits alongside the temporary suspensions. Routes are being reduced in some markets while governments continue planning for broader links.
A U.S. State Department Worldwide Caution issued August 1 advised Americans in the Middle East to prepare for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions. The department also advised approximately 250,000 Americans in the region to “consider departing” while commercial options remained available.
Airline schedules can change before any published restart date. Passengers booked on affected Dubai, Gulf, Levant, or Saudi routes should verify the operating status and connection before leaving for the airport, especially as the current suspension dates run through October 25.
