UAE Airports Report Delays and Cancellations on Oct 30 as Etihad Extends Saudi Route Cancellations to Nov 5
Why It MattersRegional airspace closures and security incidents are repeatedly disrupting Gulf connectivity, while seat capacity keeps growing, so airlines and airports are absorbing schedule volatility on top of rising winter demand.
UAE airports are preparing for a busier winter travel season, with scheduled departing seat capacity rising to 7.2 million in October, up 23 per cent from June. Dubai International Airport accounts for 4.6 million seats, followed by Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi with 1.7 million and Sharjah International Airport with 840,000. Emirates is offering 3.1 million seats this month, while flydubai has recorded the strongest capacity growth among major UAE carriers, increasing its seats by 27.5 per cent since June to 1.1 million.
On October 30, several incoming flights at Dubai International Airport (DXB) were delayed, including Emirates EK132 from Moscow (DME), due at 7.05am and rescheduled for 9.09am, and Emirates EK226 from San Francisco, rescheduled to 9.23pm from 7.25pm. Aeroflot SU524 from Moscow (SVO) was pushed to 4.32pm from 9.10am, and Pobeda DP775 from Ufa to 6.40pm from 9.30am. flynas flights XY201, XY811 and XY217 from Riyadh were cancelled, and SpiceJet flights SG5116 (Ahmedabad), SG5111 (New Delhi) and SG5060 (Mumbai) were also delayed. At Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, delays affected arrivals from India, the UK, Indonesia, Israel, Pakistan and the US, including Etihad Airways EY068 from London Heathrow (new arrival 10.15am, scheduled 7.45am), EY479 from Bali (9.35am, scheduled 6.45am) and EY610 from Tel Aviv (11.55am, scheduled 11.15am).
Etihad Airways has extended cancellations on flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah until Thursday, November 5, citing regional disruption. Etihad flight EY844 from Moscow Sheremetyevo to Abu Dhabi was delayed on October 29 due to an airspace closure. Emirates cancelled flights EK823, EK827 and EK821 from Dubai to Dammam and EK815, EK819 and EK817 from Dubai to Riyadh. Flights by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE remain suspended until further notice, as does the Emirates–flydubai codeshare to and from Tel Aviv, following the September 30 security incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073, which diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
