Regional Flight Cancellations and Delays Mount Across UAE Airlines
Regional carriers grounded select Gulf routes and delayed international services on September 2, 2026, following US-Iran military escalations and subsequent airspace adjustments. Passengers across Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, and Air Arabia faced immediate schedule shifts as security developments disrupted flight paths to Bahrain, Kuwait, and beyond.
Air Arabia cancelled multiple services out of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, including flights G9068 and G9124 to Kuwait, flight G9107 to Bahrain, and flight 3L020 from Abu Dhabi to Kuwait.
Emirates cancelled its Dubai-Bahrain service EK837, while keeping flight EK839 and the Dubai-Kuwait service EK857 on schedule. The airline also reported delays on routes to London Heathrow (EK031), Lisbon (EK193), Vienna (EK125), Moscow (EK131), and multiple Nairobi services (EK717, EK719, and EK721), the latter compounded by an unplanned Nairobi airport strike on August 30.
Etihad Airways reported mixed operations on its Abu Dhabi-Bahrain and Abu Dhabi-Kuwait corridors. Flight EY647 arrived, EY641 experienced delays, and EY645 remained scheduled, while EY653 to Kuwait departed late. Etihad also faced residual delays on flight EY770 from Nairobi on August 30 due to the local airport strike.
Airlines advised travelers to verify individual flight statuses before heading to the airport, allow extended time for traffic and security, and complete online check-in where available. flydubai recommended allowing four hours for departures originating from Dubai.
The disruptions follow US military strikes on Iranian military targets on September 1, which prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeting American interests in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.
