UAE Flight Status Today: Cancellations, Delays and Schedule Changes at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah
UAE flight operations remain mixed on Saturday, September 19, 2026, with cancellations and delays reported at Dubai International Airport (DXB), Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Sharjah International Airport (SHJ).
Several flydubai and Air Arabia services have been cancelled, while a number of Emirates, Etihad Airways and other flights are operating with revised departure times. The disruptions are concentrated on several regional routes, although most UAE aviation operations continue. Travellers should check their individual flight status directly with the airline before leaving for the airport.
The latest situation reflects a gradual recovery in UAE aviation capacity, but schedules remain subject to operational changes and the wider regional security environment.
Dubai Airport Flight Status Today
Dubai International Airport remains operational, but several flights have been cancelled or delayed.
Among the cancelled flydubai services are:
FZ023: Dubai–Bahrain
FZ024: Bahrain–Dubai
FZ815: Dubai–Abha
FZ816: Abha–Dubai
FZ817: Dubai–Yanbu
FZ818: Yanbu–Dubai
A SpiceJet service, SG5113 from Dubai to Mumbai, has also been cancelled.
Several flights are operating, but with revised departure times. Examples include Emirates services to Barcelona, Peshawar, Ahmedabad, Islamabad and New Delhi, along with flydubai flights to Belgrade, Moscow, Almaty and Minsk.
For example, Emirates EK541 Dubai–Ahmedabad has been pushed back from 11:10am to 12:16pm, while EK511 Dubai–New Delhi has been revised from 1pm to 1:41pm.
These times can change again, so passengers should not rely on an earlier airport-board update when making travel arrangements.
Abu Dhabi Airport: Etihad Flights Facing Delays
Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi is also seeing revised schedules.
Several Etihad Airways services have reported later departure times, including:
EY353: Abu Dhabi–Hyderabad
EY233: Abu Dhabi–Bengaluru
EY303: Abu Dhabi–Islamabad
The reported departure time for EY353, for example, was revised from 6:40am to 7:44am.
Air Arabia and Etihad codeshare flights are also seeing changes. These include services from Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad and Calicut.
The important point for travellers is that Abu Dhabi airport has not been completely shut down. Flights continue to operate, although individual services can be delayed or changed.
Sharjah Airport Sees Multiple Air Arabia Cancellations
Sharjah International Airport is experiencing more significant disruption on several regional routes operated by Air Arabia.
Reported cancellations include:
G9195/G9196: Sharjah–Abha and return
G9068/G9069: Sharjah–Kuwait and return
G9124/G9125: Sharjah–Kuwait and return
G9107/G9108: Sharjah–Bahrain and return
Several other Air Arabia flights between Sharjah, Kuwait and Bahrain were listed as not yet departed at the time of the latest update.
Because airline schedules can change during the day, passengers travelling from SHJ should verify their booking directly with Air Arabia before travelling to the airport.
Are Emirates Flights Operating Normally?
Emirates has indicated that its scheduled operations are continuing, although individual flights can experience delays or revised timings.
The airline's network is also in a broader recovery phase. Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths has said capacity at Dubai International Airport had recovered to about 84% of previous levels, while passenger volumes were around 78% of previous levels.
Emirates itself was operating at approximately 93% of pre-disruption capacity during July and August, according to the latest reporting.
That suggests the current situation is not a blanket shutdown of Dubai's aviation network. Instead, passengers are dealing with a combination of restored services, route-specific cancellations and schedule adjustments.
Why Are UAE Flights Being Disrupted?
The current disruptions have several possible causes.
The wider regional security environment remains an important factor for airline scheduling, particularly on routes involving countries where airspace conditions or security assessments can change quickly.
However, not every cancellation should automatically be attributed to the regional situation.
Airlines can also cancel or reschedule individual flights because of aircraft availability, crew planning, operational requirements, technical issues or network adjustments.
That distinction is important for passengers because a flight appearing on a cancellation list does not necessarily mean that all flights to the same destination have been suspended.
International Airlines Are Returning at Different Speeds
The recovery of international flights to the UAE remains uneven.
Some international carriers are preparing to restore services, while others have extended their suspensions.
British Airways is scheduled to resume Dubai services from November 4, initially with one daily flight during winter. Wizz Air is preparing to resume Dubai services from October 25 and Abu Dhabi services from October 27.
Air Astana is scheduled to restart Dubai flights from Kazakhstan in early October and plans to increase frequencies during the month.
At the same time, several carriers continue to keep Dubai services suspended for longer periods. Lufthansa, SWISS, Singapore Airlines, KLM and AirBaltic have suspended certain Dubai services through October 24 under their current schedules.
Air Canada has pushed its Dubai return to mid-January 2027, while Virgin Atlantic's Dubai service has been delayed much further.
The different restart dates show how airlines are assessing routes individually rather than returning to full schedules simultaneously.
What UAE Travellers Should Do Today
Passengers travelling through Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah should treat the published schedule as changeable until the airline confirms the flight.
Before leaving home, travellers should:
Check the flight status on the airline's official website or app.
Confirm the flight number and revised departure time.
Check whether the airline has sent an SMS or email regarding a schedule change.
Allow additional time at the airport if the flight is operating.
Avoid relying solely on third-party flight trackers.
Contact the airline before travelling if the booking shows an uncertain status.
This is particularly important for passengers connecting through Dubai or Abu Dhabi because a delay on the first flight can affect onward international connections.
What This Means for UAE Aviation
The current pattern suggests that the UAE aviation market is in a recovery and schedule-adjustment phase rather than experiencing a complete operational shutdown.
Dubai remains one of the world's major international aviation hubs, while Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia continue to operate substantial networks.
The challenge is that airlines are rebuilding capacity while simultaneously monitoring regional conditions. That makes schedules more fluid than normal.
For businesses connected to aviation, including airlines, airports, travel agencies, hotels and airport retailers, the speed of capacity recovery will be an important factor in the coming months.
For travellers, however, the immediate issue is much simpler: a flight that is scheduled today can still receive a revised departure time or cancellation notice.
UAE Flight Status Today: Key Takeaway
As of September 19, 2026, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports remain operational, but flight schedules are not completely stable. Several flydubai and Air Arabia flights have been cancelled, while Emirates and Etihad services are also showing selected delays and revised timings.
The broader UAE aviation network is gradually restoring capacity, but regional security assessments and operational considerations continue to influence individual routes.
If you are flying today, the safest approach is to check your exact flight number with the airline immediately before travelling, rather than assuming that the airport's overall operating status guarantees that your particular flight will depart on time.
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