DUBAI, UAE- Dubai International Airport (DXB), Dubai World Central (DWC), Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), and Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) faced flight delays and cancellations on Wednesday, September 23. Several services to India, Iran, Muscat, and other regional and international destinations were affected.
Key airlines named in the disruption included SpiceJet (SG), Air India Express (IX), flydubai (FZ), Emirates (EK), Etihad Airways (EY), Oman Air (WY), Air Arabia (G9) and Saudia (SV). IATA identifies these two-letter designators as airline codes used for reservations and flight schedules.
UAE Airports See Widespread Flight Disruptions
Flight information showed disruption across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, affecting both departures and arrivals. Routes involving Kozhikode, Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai, Tehran, Muscat, Riyadh and several European destinations were among those affected.
Passengers travelling on September 23 were advised to check their latest flight status before leaving for the airport because departure times could change by several hours.
Dubai Departures Face Significant Delays
Dubai departures included several flights with substantial schedule changes. Bangladesh-bound flight BS342D, operated by US-Bangla Airlines (BS), was scheduled to leave at 2:20 am but showed a revised departure time of 12:20 pm.
SpiceJet flight SG5153 to Kozhikode was originally scheduled for noon and was listed with a revised departure time of 8:25 pm. SpiceJet flight SG5117 to Kochi moved from 3:40 pm to 11:55 pm.
Air India Express flight IX346, also listed as AI9096, was delayed from 11:55 am to 1:20 pm. Saudia flight SV563 to Riyadh moved from 10:40 am to 11:30 am.
The supplied flight information also showed cancellations involving SpiceJet services to Kozhikode, Jaipur, and Delhi, along with a Pakistan International Airlines service to Lahore and another SpiceJet Delhi service later in the day.
SG5153 to Kozhikode and SG5106 to Delhi appeared in both cancellation and delay listings, making direct status checks important for affected passengers.
At Dubai World Central (DWC), TBZ6608 to Tehran was cancelled.
Dubai Arrivals Also Affected
Inbound services to Dubai experienced delays of several hours. SpiceJet flight SG5118 from Kochi was originally due at 3:15 am but was listed for arrival at 11:47 am. SpiceJet flight SG5060 from Mumbai moved from 11 am to 7:25 pm.
Flydubai flight FZ1716 from Minsk was delayed from 8:25 am to 1:42 pm, while FZ970 from Moscow Vnukovo moved from 2:45 pm to 7:06 pm. Other delayed arrivals came from Moscow, Edinburgh, Riyadh, Saint Petersburg, Amritsar, Islamabad, Kozhikode, Bangkok, Baghdad, Multan, Tbilisi, Los Angeles, Chisinau, Catania, Belgrade and Sarajevo.
Cancelled arrivals included TBZ6607 from Tehran at Dubai World Central, flydubai flight FZ816 from Abha and Emirates flight EK902 from Amman.
Abu Dhabi Services Face Changes
Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) also recorded cancellations and delays. Oman Air flight WY636 to Muscat, scheduled for 8:55 pm, was cancelled. Air Arabia flight 3L431 to Cairo was delayed from 5:55 pm to 7:15 pm.
Etihad Airways flight EY552 from Riyadh was delayed from 7:10 am to 11:01 am. Air Arabia flight 3L044 from Kathmandu moved from 1:05 pm to 2:08 pm, while flight 3L715 from Tbilisi shifted from 4:50 pm to 6:35 pm. Oman Air flight WY635 from Muscat was cancelled.
Sharjah Records Multiple Cancellations
Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) also saw several cancellations on September 23. Air Arabia services G9070 to Gassim, G9068 and G9124 to Kuwait, G9107 to Bahrain, and G9040 and G9027 to Doha were cancelled.
Flydubai flight FZ815 from Dubai to Abha, scheduled to depart at 4:45 am and arrive at 6:35 am, was also cancelled.
Iran Aviation Restrictions Add to Regional Disruption
The flight disruption coincided with new restrictions affecting Iranian aviation. Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said flights from Tehran to Baghdad and Muscat would be cancelled from midnight Wednesday. Authorities were also discussing alternative arrangements for Baghdad-bound services.
Civil Aviation Organization spokesman Majid Akhavan said authorities were coordinating arrangements to direct Baghdad-bound flights to Najaf Airport instead.
The US Treasury had also announced sanctions targeting 36 entities linked to Iran’s aviation sector. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said companies providing services to Iranian airlines could face secondary sanctions.
European Flights Set for Gradual Restoration
Travel options between Dubai and Europe are expected to expand from October as several airlines restore services.
Lufthansa is scheduled to resume Dubai services to Munich and Frankfurt from October 25. SWISS is scheduled to restart Dubai-Zurich flights from October 27.
Eurowings is scheduled to restore connections with Berlin, Stuttgart and Cologne/Bonn from November 1, while Austrian Airlines plans to resume Dubai-Vienna services from December 12.
The restored schedules are expected to provide up to 36 weekly flights between Dubai and the listed European cities during the winter season.
Airline Service Changes Across the UAE
Several international airlines continue to adjust their UAE schedules.
- British Airways (BA): Dubai bookings are open from November 4, initially with one daily winter flight and an increase to two daily services in summer. Abu Dhabi services are not expected to return until winter 2027-28.
- Air France (AF): Dubai flights remain suspended through October 13, 2026.
- Wizz Air (W6): Dubai services are expected to resume from October 25 and Abu Dhabi flights from October 27.
- Air Astana (KC): Dubai services from Almaty resume October 1 and from Astana October 2, with capacity expected to increase gradually.
- Eurowings (EW): Dubai flights remain suspended through October 24, with services scheduled to resume November 1.
- SWISS (LX): Dubai flights remain suspended through October 24.
- Singapore Airlines (SQ): Dubai flights SQ494 and SQ495 are cancelled through October 24.
- KLM (KL): Dubai flights remain suspended through October 24.
- ITA Airways (AZ): Dubai services remain suspended through October 24.
- airBaltic (BT): Riga-Dubai flights remain suspended through October 24.
- Philippine Airlines (PR): Dubai flights are suspended until October 2.
- Turkish Airlines (TK): Dubai and Abu Dhabi services have resumed, while Tehran flights remain suspended.
- Air Canada (AC): Dubai flights are cancelled until mid-January 2027.
- Virgin Atlantic (VS): Dubai services have been pushed back to October 2027.
Travel Advisories Continue to Vary
Travel advisories have eased in some countries, but governments continue to warn about possible flight disruption because regional security conditions remain fluid.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office removed its broad warning against all but essential travel to the UAE but continues to warn about possible flight cancellations and airspace disruption.
The US continues to list the UAE at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, citing terrorism, armed conflict and commercial flight disruption. Australia advises travellers to reconsider their need to travel to the UAE, while Canada advises a high degree of caution in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Passengers Should Check Flight Status Before Departure
Passengers affected by the disruption should check directly with their airline before travelling to the airport because flight schedules can change at short notice. Flydubai states that check-in closes 60 minutes before scheduled departure unless different instructions are provided by SMS or email.
The reported changes cover multiple airports, airlines, and international routes, so passengers should rely on the latest airline or airport status for their specific booking rather than earlier scheduled departure or arrival times.
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