Published on : 09 Oct 2026
You are checking your flight status before you leave for the airport this weekend. This is the right thing to do. UAE travellers heading into the weekend face flight delays at Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, while disruption continues on routes to Saudi Arabia and other parts of the region following attacks on airports in the kingdom. Emirates has cancelled three flights to Riyadh. Etihad Airways has cancelled eight services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh across Friday and Saturday. flydubai’s Riyadh service was disrupted Thursday and resumes Saturday. Singapore Airlines has pulled its Dubai flights until December 1. Wizz Air has pushed six Abu Dhabi routes to January 2027. Cathay Pacific has suspended Dubai through January 31, 2027. And at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Thursday, nearly 50% of all scheduled departures were cancelled — 164 delays and 167 cancellations in a single day. Friday morning shows improvement: 63 delays (18%) and 44 cancellations (13%). The airport is recovering. But it is not recovered. This article contains every confirmed cancellation, every suspension end-date, every carrier status, and everything you need to do before you reach the airport this weekend.
Status date: Friday October 9, 2026 — live Airport status — Dubai International (DXB): Open — operating with delays and selective cancellations Airport status — Abu Dhabi Zayed International (AUH): Open — departures experiencing delays Airport status — Riyadh King Khalid International (RUH): Open — recovering: 63 delays (18%), 44 cancellations (13%) Friday morning vs 164 delays and 167 cancellations Thursday Emirates Riyadh cancellations today: EK815, EK817, EK819 — confirmed cancelled Friday Etihad Riyadh cancellations today: EY551, EY552, EY555, EY556, EY559, EY560 — confirmed cancelled Friday Etihad Riyadh cancellations Saturday: EY551, EY552 — confirmed cancelled Saturday October 10 flydubai Riyadh FZ848: Delayed Thursday — scheduled to resume Saturday October 10 flydubai Abha FZ811: Cancelled from Dubai Emirates Dammam EK821: Cancelled from Dubai Air Arabia Kuwait G9068, G9124: Cancelled from Sharjah Air Arabia Bahrain G9107: Cancelled from Sharjah Thursday total Riyadh cancellations: ~300 — 50% of all departures (Cirium data) Saudia pilot killed: Captain Hamoud Ali Al-Kalthami — confirmed by Saudia, October 8 FCDO UAE advisory: No broad warning against UAE travel — flight disruption and airspace closure warnings active US State Dept UAE: Level 3 — Reconsider Travel Australia Smartraveller UAE: Reconsider your need to travel EASA bulletin: Active for Saudi airspace + Persian Gulf + Gulf of Oman — valid until November 16
To understand why Emirates is cancelling Riyadh flights on Friday October 9 and why every major European carrier is either suspended or operating reduced Gulf services, you need the full sequence of events.
October 6 — Abha Airport struck: Houthi missile attack on Abha International Airport, near the Yemen border. Two people killed. flydubai immediately cancelled its Abha services (FZ815, FZ811).
October 7 — King Khalid International, Riyadh, hit: A ballistic missile struck the airport. One person killed. Flights halted for more than an hour per Flightradar24. The Houthi military spokesperson stated the strike was “precise and direct” and caused disruption to air traffic.
October 8 — The Saudia A320 is destroyed: A parked Saudia Airbus A320 aircraft was struck and badly damaged by fire from a Houthi missile at King Khalid International Airport. The airline confirmed its pilot, Captain Hamoud Ali Al-Kalthami, was killed. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed three Saudi nationals killed and several injured. Around 300 flights were cancelled at Riyadh on Thursday — 50% of all scheduled departures, per aviation analytics firm Cirium. Lufthansa Group suspended Riyadh services through October 16. Air India, Akasa Air and IndiGo cancelled services through October 9–10.
October 9 — Today: Riyadh is recovering — 63 delays (18%) and 44 cancellations (13%) by Friday morning, compared to Thursday’s catastrophic 164 delays and 167 cancellations. But Emirates has cancelled three Riyadh flights. Etihad has cancelled eight services across Friday and Saturday. The UAE weekend departures at Dubai and Abu Dhabi are running with delays. This is not normalcy. It is recovery — slow, uneven, and contingent on whether Houthi missiles are fired again before you land.
Emirates flights EK815, EK819 and EK817 were cancelled on Friday. The airline told passengers the cancellations were due to operational reasons and said it was working to rebook affected travellers to their final destinations.
EK815 — Dubai (DXB) to Riyadh (RUH): CANCELLED Friday October 9 EK817 — Dubai (DXB) to Riyadh (RUH): CANCELLED Friday October 9 EK819 — Dubai (DXB) to Riyadh (RUH): CANCELLED Friday October 9 EK821 — Dubai (DXB) to Dammam (DMM): CANCELLED Friday October 9
Emirates operates multiple daily Dubai–Riyadh services. The cancellation of EK815, EK817, and EK819 removes three of those daily frequencies, leaving a reduced Dubai–Riyadh schedule operating with the remaining services.
Additional Dubai cancellations today:
Dubai delays today:
What Emirates passengers with Riyadh bookings today must do: Go to emirates.com → Manage Booking immediately. If your flight is EK815, EK817, EK819 or EK821, it is cancelled. Emirates is working to rebook affected travellers — the fastest channel is the Emirates app. Do not queue at the airport before calling the Emirates UK line (0344 800 2777) or checking the app. Emirates’ standard procedure for controllable cancellations is to rebook on the next available Emirates Riyadh service — expect at least 24 hours until the next available slot given the scale of today’s cancellations.
Etihad cancelled six flights on October 9 and two on October 10 between Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.
Friday October 9 — ALL CANCELLED:
Saturday October 10 — CANCELLED:
Etihad says further changes are possible and advises passengers to check their flight status. The cancellation of all six Friday Etihad Abu Dhabi–Riyadh services is a complete suspension of the route for Friday — no Etihad flight is operating between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh today. Saturday sees a partial suspension with EY551 and EY552 also cancelled.
What Etihad passengers must do: Go to etihad.com → Manage My Booking. If your flight is any of the eight listed above, it is cancelled. Etihad’s contact: UK 0345 608 1225. Additional delays were noted on EY651 to Kuwait and EY551 from Riyadh on earlier dates — the pattern of disruption on Abu Dhabi–Gulf routes extends beyond Riyadh specifically.
FZ848 (Dubai → Riyadh): Delayed Thursday. Scheduled to resume Saturday October 10. Passengers should reconfirm the operating status before travelling to the airport.
FZ811 (Dubai → Abha): CANCELLED. Abha International Airport was struck on October 6 and flydubai has not reinstated this service.
flydubai contact: flydubai.com → My Bookings | UK: 0203 313 5255
G9068 (Sharjah → Kuwait): CANCELLED G9124 (Sharjah → Kuwait): CANCELLED G9107 (Sharjah → Bahrain): CANCELLED G9121 (Sharjah → Kuwait): Listed as operational but had not departed as of publication G9103, G9105: Scheduled to operate Abu Dhabi–Kuwait 3L020: CANCELLED
Air Arabia’s Kuwait and Bahrain route disruptions reflect the wider Gulf airspace security pressure. Air Arabia contact: airarabia.com → Manage My Booking
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is open and operating, but several departing flights faced delays on Friday morning. This is not the same as normal operations. Delays at Dubai International are cascading from two directions simultaneously: inbound aircraft arriving late from regional stations that have experienced cancellations, and outbound flights held to wait for connecting passengers delayed at Gulf transit points.
Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport is also experiencing delays on Friday. The combination of Etihad’s eight cancelled Riyadh services and the general regional disruption is creating congestion at Abu Dhabi as passengers crowd customer service desks for rebooking assistance.
The practical advice for any UAE-based passenger this weekend: Check your airline’s app before leaving home. Do not assume that because Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports are open, your flight is operating normally. Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia and virtually every other regional carrier has multiple active disruptions today. The “check before you go” instruction from UAE aviation authorities is not precautionary — it is operational necessity.
Despite the attacks, Riyadh airport operations were showing signs of recovery on Friday. The flight-tracking figures from Flightradar24 recorded 63 delays or 18 per cent of flights and 44 cancellations or 13 per cent from midnight on Friday. On Thursday, 164 delays and 167 cancellations were recorded.
The improvement is real — but the security situation is not resolved. Yemen’s Houthi movement targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport three times on Thursday, October 8, prompting security alerts for foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia. The Houthi military spokesman explicitly warned all airlines operating in Saudi airspace that they are targets. That warning has not been withdrawn.
The geopolitical context matters too. US President Donald Trump says Washington is holding “productive discussions” with Tehran and has ruled out an attack on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections. The US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in place. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran is reviewing Washington’s response to its seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and will reply within days.
The situation remains fluid. Any passenger transiting through Dubai or Abu Dhabi this weekend on a route that includes Saudi Arabia should treat their itinerary as actively subject to change until they are physically at their destination.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has an active conflict-zone bulletin covering parts of Saudi airspace, citing missile and drone threats and the risk of rapid deterioration. Its current advisories also cover the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The relevant bulletins are currently listed as valid until November 16, subject to earlier review.
The EASA Saudi bulletin warns of missile and drone threats, interception activity and falling debris, and advises operators to avoid a defined part of the Jeddah flight information region while exercising caution elsewhere.
For passengers: the EASA bulletin is what airlines cite when they suspend or reduce Saudi and Gulf services. It is the regulatory foundation for Lufthansa’s suspension through October 16, for Wizz Air’s six-route postponement to January 2027, and for British Airways’ delayed Dubai resumption date of November 3. When EASA updates its bulletin — whether extending it or lifting it — airline resumption dates will shift accordingly.
The following schedules and suspensions are based on official airline updates published as of today. Dates refer to planned resumptions or end of suspension periods, not a guarantee that flights will operate.
| Airline | Route | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates | Dubai → Most international destinations | ✅ Operating | Riyadh: EK815/817/819/821 cancelled Friday |
| Etihad | Abu Dhabi → Most routes | ✅ Operating | Riyadh: ALL Friday services cancelled |
| flydubai | Dubai → Regional network | ✅ Mostly operating | FZ811 Abha cancelled; FZ848 Riyadh resuming Saturday |
| Air Arabia | Sharjah → Regional | ✅ Partly operating | Kuwait and Bahrain routes affected |
| Qatar Airways | Doha connecting | ✅ Operating | Monitor for Riyadh schedule changes |
| Turkish Airlines | Istanbul → Dubai | ✅ Operating | Normal operations |
| Philippine Airlines | Dubai → Manila | ✅ Resumed | Bookings available from October 5 |
| Air Astana | Dubai/Abu Dhabi ↔ Almaty/Astana | ✅ Resumed | Resumed October 1–2 |
| Airline | Status | Until | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa Group | ❌ Riyadh suspended | October 16 | lufthansa.com |
| Swiss (LH Group) | ❌ Riyadh suspended | October 16 | swiss.com |
| Austrian (LH Group) | ❌ Riyadh suspended | October 16 | austrian.com |
| Air India | ❌ Riyadh suspended | October 10 | airindia.com |
| Air India Express | ❌ Riyadh suspended | October 10 | airindiaexpress.com |
| Akasa Air | ❌ Riyadh suspended | October 10 | akasaair.com |
| IndiGo | ❌ Riyadh suspended | October 9 (today) | goindigo.in — check NOW |
| Philippine Airlines | ❌ Riyadh suspended | At least October 11 | philippineairlines.com |
| Airline | Route | Status | Resumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Airlines | SQ494/495 Singapore ↔ Dubai | ❌ Cancelled | December 1, 2026 |
| British Airways | London Heathrow ↔ Dubai | ❌ Suspended | November 3, 2026 |
| British Airways | London Heathrow ↔ Abu Dhabi | ❌ Suspended | Winter 2027–28 season |
| Air France | Paris ↔ Dubai & Riyadh | ❌ Suspended | October 24, 2026 |
| Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong ↔ Dubai & Riyadh | ❌ Suspended | January 31, 2027 |
| Lufthansa Group | Munich/Frankfurt ↔ Abu Dhabi | ❌ Suspended | October 24, 2026 |
| Eurowings | Berlin/Stuttgart/Cologne ↔ Abu Dhabi | ❌ Suspended | October 24, 2026 |
| Wizz Air | 6 routes to Abu Dhabi | ❌ Postponed | January 10, 2027 |
| Wizz Air | Jordan routes | ❌ Suspended | October 25, 2026 |
| Airline | Route | Resumption Date | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa | Munich ↔ Dubai | October 25 | 5 weekly |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt ↔ Dubai | October 26 | 4 weekly (rising to 5 from Nov 9) |
| SWISS | Zurich ↔ Dubai | October 27 | Daily |
| Eurowings | Berlin ↔ Dubai | November 1 | Daily |
| Eurowings | Stuttgart ↔ Dubai | November 1 | 4 weekly |
| Eurowings | Cologne/Bonn ↔ Dubai | November 3 | 3 weekly |
| British Airways | London Heathrow ↔ Dubai | November 3 | TBC |
| Austrian Airlines | Vienna ↔ Dubai | December 12 | 5 weekly |
| Singapore Airlines | Singapore ↔ Dubai | December 1 | Daily |
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has removed its broad warning against all but essential travel to the UAE. It continues to warn of possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures and travel disruption amid regional tensions.
For Saudi Arabia specifically, the FCDO continues to advise against all travel to areas bordering Yemen (Jizan and Najran regions) and against all but essential travel to parts of the Eastern Province. Travel to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam is not broadly restricted — but passengers are advised to remain vigilant and check flights before departure.
Monitor: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates and gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/saudi-arabia
The US has UAE at Level 3 — Reconsider Travel, citing terrorism, armed conflict and commercial flight disruption. US citizens in Saudi Arabia have also been urged to remain vigilant because of the potential for aerial drone or missile attacks.
Monitor: travel.state.gov → United Arab Emirates | travel.state.gov → Saudi Arabia
Australian travellers are advised to reconsider their need to travel to the UAE, amid an unpredictable regional security situation and the possibility of airspace closures.
Monitor: smartraveller.gov.au → United Arab Emirates
Canadian travellers are advised to exercise a high degree of caution in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Monitor: travel.gc.ca → United Arab Emirates
Emirates flights EK815, EK817, and EK819 are cancelled on Friday October 9, 2026. These services depart from Dubai (DXB) — a non-EU, non-UK airport. The relevant passenger rights framework is not EU261 or UK261 for this leg.
However: if you hold a through-ticket that originated in the UK or EU — meaning your journey started at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Paris, Frankfurt, or any EU airport and you are connecting at Dubai to Riyadh — then EU261 or UK261 may apply to your complete itinerary under the “through booking” principle. This is a complex but well-established legal principle that many passengers overlook.
What you are entitled to unconditionally:
What is contested: The Houthi missile attacks may be classified as extraordinary circumstances, potentially exempting Emirates from paying additional cash compensation beyond the refund and duty of care. However, in similar cases involving cascading cancellations where the airline cancelled flights in advance based on safety assessments rather than being directly prevented from operating, courts have not always accepted extraordinary circumstances as a complete defence.
Emirates contact: emirates.com → Manage | UK: 0344 800 2777
Identical rights framework as Emirates. Full cash refund unconditional. Duty of care mandatory. Extraordinary circumstances argument applies to compensation but not to refund.
Etihad contact: etihad.com → Manage | UK: 0345 608 1225
Singapore Airlines has cancelled SQ494 and SQ495 (Singapore–Dubai) until December 1, 2026. This is a commercial suspension — announced weeks in advance for operational and safety reasons. It is not an immediate emergency response.
For UK and Australian passengers booked on Singapore Airlines through Dubai: SQ494/SQ495 affected passengers should contact Singapore Airlines at singaporeair.com → Manage Booking for a full cash refund or rerouting. Singapore Airlines has a strong customer service record on proactively contacting affected passengers — check your email.
UK passengers departing from UK airports on British Airways (when it resumes November 3), Virgin Atlantic, or any other carrier on routes passing through or to the UAE and Saudi Arabia are covered by UK Air Passenger Rights regulations.
For any flight delayed 3+ hours on a UK-departing service by factors within the airline’s operational control:
| Route | Compensation |
|---|---|
| London to Dubai (over 3,500 km) | £520 per passenger |
| London to Abu Dhabi (over 3,500 km) | £520 per passenger |
Note: BA’s Dubai suspension is currently through November 3. If you hold a BA Heathrow–Dubai ticket for any date before November 3, contact BA now at ba.com → Manage My Booking. You are entitled to a full refund or rebooking — whichever you prefer.
Action 1 — Check your flight status via your airline’s app RIGHT NOW. Do not check Google or a third-party site. Use the airline’s own app — it updates faster and shows the rebooking options immediately.
Action 2 — Emirates passengers — check for EK815, EK817, EK819, EK821. If your ticket shows any of these flight numbers, it is cancelled today. Go to emirates.com → Manage Booking immediately.
Action 3 — Etihad passengers — check for EY551 through EY560. All six Friday services and two Saturday services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are cancelled. Go to etihad.com → Manage My Booking immediately.
Action 4 — flydubai FZ848 Riyadh passengers — wait for Saturday. FZ848 is scheduled to resume Saturday. Do not go to the airport for a Thursday or Friday FZ848 departure — the service was not operating.
Action 5 — Singapore Airlines SQ494/SQ495 passengers — you have until December 1. Singapore Airlines has cancelled all Dubai services until December 1. Contact singaporeair.com → Manage Booking for a full cash refund or alternative routing via Changi through another carrier.
Action 6 — British Airways Dubai passengers before November 3. If your BA Dubai booking is before November 3, go to ba.com → Manage My Booking. You are entitled to a full refund or rebooking on BA’s first post-November 3 service, or rerouting via another carrier.
Action 7 — Wizz Air Abu Dhabi passengers — your launch date is now January 10, 2027. Wizz Air postponed six Abu Dhabi routes. If your booking was on a Wizz Air Abu Dhabi route with a departure before January 10, 2027, contact Wizz Air for a full refund or rebooking.
Action 8 — Request duty of care immediately if delayed 2+ hours. If you are at Dubai International or Abu Dhabi Zayed International and your flight is delayed beyond 2 hours, go to your airline’s service desk and request meal vouchers. Do not wait for the airline to offer them proactively.
Action 9 — Never accept a voucher in place of cash. If your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a full cash refund to your original payment method. Airlines routinely offer travel vouchers first. State clearly: “I am requesting a full cash refund, not a travel voucher.”
Action 10 — Save these contacts now.
| Airline | Website | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Emirates | emirates.com → Manage | UK: 0344 800 2777 |
| Etihad | etihad.com → Manage | UK: 0345 608 1225 |
| flydubai | flydubai.com → My Bookings | UK: 0203 313 5255 |
| Air Arabia | airarabia.com → Manage | Customer service portal |
| Singapore Airlines | singaporeair.com → Manage | UK: 020 8961 6993 |
| British Airways | ba.com → Manage My Booking | UK: 0344 493 0787 |
| Lufthansa | lufthansa.com → My Bookings | UK: 0371 945 9747 |
| Wizz Air | wizzair.com → My Bookings | Customer service portal |
| Dubai Airport live | dubaiairports.ae → Flight Status | — |
| Abu Dhabi Airport live | abudhabiairport.ae → Flights | — |
| Riyadh Airport live | gaca.gov.sa → Flight Status | — |
| UK FCDO UAE advisory | gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/uae | — |
| Australia Smartraveller | smartraveller.gov.au | — |
| EU261/UK261 no-win-no-fee | airhelp.com or airadvisor.com | — |
Today’s Riyadh improvement — from 167 Thursday cancellations to 44 Friday cancellations — is genuine progress. The airport is recovering. But the recovery is contingent on no further Houthi missile strikes before midnight tonight, and no further EASA bulletin escalation.
The UAE itself — Dubai and Abu Dhabi — is in a different category. The airports are open. The long-haul network is operating. Emirates and Etihad’s Riyadh cancellations today are targeted and specific — they are not suspending their entire networks. For passengers flying long-haul through Dubai or Abu Dhabi to destinations outside the Gulf, the probability of disruption today is materially lower than it was on Thursday.
The passengers most at risk today are those whose itinerary touches Riyadh, Dammam, or Abha specifically. Anyone flying Dubai–London, Dubai–Sydney, Abu Dhabi–Toronto, Abu Dhabi–New York faces a much lower disruption risk — their flights are operating, with some delays.
Monitor this page for updates throughout October 9. We will update the carrier status table and flight cancellation list as airlines publish further schedule changes.
Published: October 9, 2026 | Sources: Gulf News (gulfnews.com — published October 9, 2026 at 1:36 PM GST)
Posted By : Vinay
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is based on information available at the time of publication. Travel advisories, airline schedules, airport operations, visa requirements, government regulations, and other travel-related information are subject to change without prior notice. While Travel Tourister makes reasonable efforts to verify information using official announcements, government publications, airline and airport communications, and other reliable sources, we cannot guarantee that all information remains complete, accurate, or up to date at all times. Readers should independently verify any information that may affect their travel plans with the relevant airline, airport authority, government agency, embassy, or other official source before making travel, financial, or other decisions. Travel Tourister shall not be liable for any direct or indirect loss, inconvenience, or damages arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained in this article. Nothing in this publication constitutes legal, immigration, financial, or professional travel advice. If you believe any information in this article is inaccurate or outdated, please contact our editorial team. We review all credible correction requests promptly and update our content whenever appropriate.
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