Limited UAE Departures Resume As Gulf Airspace Crisis Continues

A small number of flights departed the United Arab Emirates on Monday, offering limited relief after days of widespread airspace closures linked to the conflict between the US-Israel and Iran. Etihad Airways, Emirates and Flydubai resumed select services after traffic was suspended over the weekend. Authorities described the move as a cautious restart, with most scheduled departures and arrivals still cancelled.

Dubai officials urged passengers to travel to the airport only if directly contacted by their airline. Flight tracking data showed more than 80 per cent of scheduled flights in and out of Dubai remained cancelled, while over half of services linked to Abu Dhabi were still grounded. Across seven major Gulf airports, more than 2,000 flights were cancelled during the disruption.

Etihad confirmed that at least 15 aircraft departed Abu Dhabi to help clear stranded passengers, including services to London Heathrow, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Cairo and Islamabad. Regular commercial operations remain suspended until 4 March at 14:00 local time. Emirates operated a limited number of departures on Monday evening, prioritising rebooked customers, while Flydubai confirmed nine movements for the day.

Airlines Adjust Schedules Across The Region

Several carriers have introduced suspensions or route changes:

• Qatar Airways flights remain halted pending airspace approval
• Oman Air cancelled services to multiple Gulf and European destinations
• Saudia suspended selected regional routes
• Wizz Air paused flights to Israel, the UAE and neighbouring states
• Lufthansa Group, Air France, KLM and British Airways introduced temporary suspensions

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha serve as key hubs linking Europe, Africa and Asia, and gradual departures restore some long-haul connections.

The limited resumption of flights shows how slowly normal traffic is returning across the Gulf. While departures have restarted in parts of the UAE, many routes remain unavailable and thousands of passengers are still waiting for confirmed travel plans. The coming days will determine how quickly international schedules stabilise as airlines coordinate with aviation authorities.