UAE Flight Cancellations Disruptions at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Tehran Airports: Here’s What You Need To Know – Travel And Tour World

Passengers traveling out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face massive disruptions as Middle Eastern geopolitics remain a setback to flights.

Spurts of airspace shutdowns and political upheavals have led to massive cancellations and delayed flights at various major airports such as Dubai International Airport (DXB), Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, Sharjah International Airport, and airports at Tehran.

Though flights at most airports have gotten back to a near-normal state, some flights remain suspended, inconveniencing both local and international passengers. These disruptions hit hard on passengers going to and from cities like Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Dubai International Airport (DXB)
Dubai International Airport (DXB), a world’s busiest airport, was heavily hit after a temporary closure of UAE airspace on Monday, June 23, 2025. This was a result of escalating tensions in the Middle East, causing massive delays in air traffic. Though the airspace reopened, there have been some leftover delays and cancellation that have been hitting passengers, especially the ones going to Tehran.

The Middle East flagship airline Emirates has temporarily suspended all its flights to and out of Tehran, Iran, until Wednesday, 9th July 2025. Connecting passengers to Iran via Dubai are not currently accepted for travel at the moment. This announcement comes after ongoing geopolitics and a precaution to guarantee its operation’s safety and security. Despite having kept its flights to Tehran on hold, its flights to several other Middle East cities have been resumed. These include Beirut in Lebanon and Baghdad in Iraq, which had been temporarily suspended earlier in June.

For passengers who have booked on Emirates’ flights to Iran, the airline offers rebooking flexibility. Impacted passengers are advised to contact the airline directly or refer to their email alerts for updates on rebooking and refunds. Emirates has promised passengers that restoring these services is underway as soon as possible, and disruptions to passengers have been kept to a minimum.

On its part, Dubai’s low-cost airline flydubai has gotten back to normal operations throughout its network. Flydubai restarted flights to Iran on Friday, July 4, 2025, including to Tehran, Bandar Abbas, Mashhad, Lar, and Shiraz. Besides, its services to St. Petersburg, Russia, came back on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Flydubai is still flying to a number of Iraqi destinations, as well as Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The airline made it clear that, as a precaution, it is still following developments in these nations and will modify its schedule if required. Clients are advised to verify their flight status before going to the airport to minimize possible inconveniences.

Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH)
In Abu Dhabi, flight operations at Zayed International Airport have experienced significant disruptions due to the ongoing regional tensions. However, Etihad Airways, the national carrier, has resumed its usual operating schedule. Passengers flying with Etihad should still be cautious and regularly check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

Air Arabia, a Sharjah-based airline, also resumed flights on previously suspended routes. It resumed its flights on Sunday, July 6, 2025, to Tehran, Shiraz, and to Lar. Air Arabia is also advising affected passengers via SMS and email if there are delays or cancellation in store. Passengers are advised to stay updated on the airline’s central site for latest flight information and details on rebooking or refunding.

Low-cost airline Wizz Air Abu Dhabi made a public announcement that European flights to Amman, Jordan, and all flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, would be temporarily suspended until September 15, 2025.

Further, the airline mentioned that as a precautionary move following the ongoing Middle East crisis, it would avoid overflights of Israeli, Iraqi, Iranian, and Syrian territories until further notice. Impacted passengers would personally be notified by email with options to rebook or refund. Wizz Air emphasized that passenger safety remained its key priority and would remain vigilant and observant as developments unfolded.

Sharjah International Airport (SHJ)
At Sharjah International Airport, things have been fairly stable, though a few delays and cancellations have been noted. All passengers have been asked to continuously check for updated flights, as spillover effects of the local tensions and closure of airspace have affected some routes.

Air Arabia, which operates a majority of its flights out of Sharjah, restored previously suspended flights to Tehran, Shiraz, and Lar on July 6, 2025.

Air Arabia also announced that its Sharjah-Damascus, Syria, two-times-daily flight would resume Thursday, July 10, 2025. Clients on these services are asked to check the airline’s web page and ensure their flight is operating before departing.

Tehran, Iran

Tehran, which is a major destination for both flydubai and Emirates, has been hit hard by the current disruptions. Emirates has temporarily suspended its flights to Tehran until July 9, 2025, while flydubai reopened its flights to Tehran and other Iranian cities on July 4, 2025. Flydubai’s flights to Tehran, however, have been subject to repeated revisions based on the turbulent politics prevailing in the Middle East.

Air Arabia also restarted flights to Tehran, Shiraz, and Lar, which had been halted previously in June. The carrier restarted these operations on July 6, 2025, and is still operating on a standard schedule to Iran in spite of the problems created by the political upheaval in the nation.

Advice for Impacted Travellers

Passengers impacted by cancellation and delay ought to do the following to ensure their trip proceeds as well as possible:

Check Notifications: Affected passengers should regularly check their email and airline apps for updates on flight status and any changes to their itinerary. Airlines are sending out notifications to inform passengers of cancellations, delays, and rebooking options.

Manage Bookings: Airlines such as Emirates, flydubai, and Air Arabia have web-based booking management systems through which passengers can rebook or request refunds for canceled flights. These are resources that passengers can use to manage their bookins.

Contact Customer Service: Due to high call volumes, it’s advisable that travelers only contact customer service if absolutely necessary. Airlines are experiencing delays in responding to customer queries.

Stay Informed: Passengers should continue to monitor official airline and government channels for the latest updates, as the situation in the Middle East remains fluid.

Flexibility Is Key: In view of the ongoing regional unrest, passengers are best advised to remain flexible when making their travel schedules.

Airlines are doing their best to adapt their schedules and reduce disruptions, but delays are unavoidable. Conclusion Though the aviation market of the UAE has returned to a state of near-normalcy after a succession of disruptions by virtue of rising geopolitical tensions, passengers would do well to remain cognizant of current flight cancellations and flight delays.

Major airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Tehran have major disruptions, mainly on flights to and from Iran and Iraq. Passengers on Emirates, flydubai, Air Arabia, and Wizz Air should remain well-informed on current flight developments, as the scenario remains unpredictable.

The airlines have been providing flexible rebooking and refunds to passengers affected by these disruptions, and travelers are advised to move quickly to book new travel plans. Since the travel season during summers has hit its stride, passengers are advised to stay patient and adaptable given these sudden disruptions.