DUBAI, Oct. 6, 2026 — Dubai International (DXB) and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International (AUH) are open, but Tuesday brought another morning of cancelled and delayed flights as Gulf tensions continue. Gulf News reports that Europe’s aviation safety agency has extended its conflict-zone bulletin for the region to November 16, 2026.
What happened
Gulf News published its daily flight-status report on Tuesday morning, updated at 10:33 local time. It lists the following flights as cancelled. No end date has been published for the disruption: TBA.
| Airport | Airline | Cancelled Tuesday, October 6 |
|---|---|---|
| DXB | Emirates | EK366 to Taipei, EK376 to Bangkok, EK205 to Jeddah |
| DXB | flydubai | FZ157 to Beirut, FZ209 to Erbil |
| DXB | Israir | 6H662, 6H664, 6H666 and 6H668 to Tel Aviv |
| DXB | flyadeal | F3506 to Riyadh |
| DXB | SpiceJet | SG5117 to Kochi |
| Sharjah (SHJ) | Air Arabia | G9068 and G9124 to Kuwait, G9107 to Bahrain |
| AUH | Air Arabia Abu Dhabi | 3L020 to Kuwait |
- Delayed Tuesday: Saudia SV563 from Dubai to Riyadh, SpiceJet flights from Dubai to New Delhi, Kochi and Mumbai, and Etihad services to Kuwait and Riyadh.
- Monday, October 5: Gulf News listed a SpiceJet flight to Pune, flydubai’s Tel Aviv flights, flydubai FZ969 to Moscow and FZ1335 to Bangkok as cancelled. It also reported Air Arabia’s Sharjah routes to Kuwait, Bahrain, Gassim, Chattogram and Doha as suspended.
- Cause: the newspaper points to US-Iran tensions, Houthi activity near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and European conflict-zone guidance that shapes how airlines route around the Gulf.
- Airspace advisories: Gulf News says the EASA bulletin now runs to November 16, 2026. Safe Airspace’s October 6 summary lists a French notice dated September 30 advising caution in the Emirates flight region and “great caution” over Kuwait and Qatar.
- Airline statements: the report carries none from Emirates, Etihad, flydubai or Dubai Airports.
What it means for non-revs
- Expect tighter loads on the flights that do operate. When a Bangkok, Jeddah or Taipei departure cancels, its confirmed passengers move to the next flights first. Standby seats on those routes will be scarce for a day or two afterward.
- Check the specific flight before leaving for the airport. Gulf News warns that schedules can change at the last minute even on confirmed bookings.
- Arrive early. The paper advises at least three hours before departure, and four hours for flydubai.
- Do not build a tight connection through DXB, AUH or SHJ. Delays on the inbound leg are common in these reports. Leave a long buffer or plan an overnight.
- Have a routing that avoids the Gulf. If your trip between Europe and Asia can go another way, list for it as a backup.
- Kuwait, Bahrain, Beirut, Erbil and Tel Aviv are the weakest links. These destinations appear in the cancellation lists on both days. Treat them as unreliable for standby until the lists clear.
- Carry on. A checked bag is hard to recover if you are rolled to a later flight or rerouted.
Sources
- Gulf News — “UAE Flight Disruptions: Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, flydubai Face Delays Amid Rising Tensions” (October 6, 2026) — gulfnews.com
- Gulf News — “UAE Flights Update: Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, flydubai Delays and Cancellations Amid Regional Tensions” (October 5, 2026) — gulfnews.com
- Safe Airspace — “Risk Summary 06 Oct 2026” — safeairspace.net
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