UAE Flight Operations Mixed on November 4 as Etihad Extends Saudi Suspensions and More Airlines Return for Winter
Why It MattersGulf air connectivity is recovering unevenly, with Saudi routes still suspended while European carriers return, so seat capacity is being rebuilt route by route ahead of the winter peak.
UAE flight operations remained mixed on November 4, with Etihad, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia issuing updates on cancellations, suspensions and resumptions across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah while regional disruption continued.
Etihad Airways extended the suspension of all passenger and cargo flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam and between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh through November 19. Flights EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604 between Abu Dhabi and Jeddah are scheduled to resume from November 6, and other Abu Dhabi–Jeddah services will operate as scheduled. Etihad said the situation remains fluid and further changes are possible. Emirates cancelled flights EK823, EK827 and EK821 from Dubai to Dammam, and EK815, EK819 and EK817 from Dubai to Riyadh. Services between Dubai and Jeddah showed a mix of cancellations and scheduled flights, while Dubai–Medina services were listed as scheduled or already arrived. US-bound and connecting Emirates passengers must submit a signed attestation form confirming they have not visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 21 days before boarding, unless officially exempt.
At Dubai International Airport, the flight information board showed several delays and one cancellation. Delayed arrivals included SpiceJet SG 5060 from Mumbai (scheduled 11.55am, revised to 7.17pm), SG 5111 from New Delhi (10.25am to 12.08pm) and SG 5116 from Ahmedabad (8.50am to 1.32pm), plus flydubai FZ 722 and FZ 712 from Tbilisi, FZ 1574 from Milan Bergamo and FZ 898 from Medina, My Freighter Airlines C6 351 from Tashkent and US-Bangla Airlines BS 343 from Dhaka. At Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, delayed arrivals included Air India Express IX269 from Goa, Etihad EY596 from Tel Aviv, Etihad EY016 from Charlotte, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi 3L044 from Kathmandu and Etihad EY100 from Lisbon. No departure delays were listed.
More airlines are returning ahead of the winter travel rush. British Airways resumed London–Dubai flights on November 3, with Lufthansa, SWISS and Eurowings due to follow on November 25 and Austrian Airlines on December 12. Philippine Airlines, Air Astana and Aegean Airlines have already restored services. UAE airport seat capacity reached 7.2 million in October, up 23 per cent from June. Passengers are advised to confirm flight status directly with their airline before leaving for the airport, as timings can change at short notice.
