Is UAE Airspace Open? Flight Status & Travel Update (September 2026)

Last updated: Sep 4, 2026

UAE airspace is open. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports are all running scheduled flights on 4 September 2026. Renewed US-Iran strikes across the Gulf this week have caused delays and a small number of cancellations, so confirm your flight number with the airline before you leave for the airport.

Last updated: 4 September 2026.

Table of Contents

Is UAE airspace open right now?

Yes. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority lifted the last of its wartime air traffic restrictions on 2 May 2026, and nothing has been reimposed since. Air traffic control is working normally, though controllers are using temporary routings and flow restrictions to keep traffic clear of the areas most exposed to military activity.

The safety notice you may have read about is EASA’s Conflict Zone Information Bulletin CZIB-2026-07R2, revised on 31 August 2026 and valid until 30 September. It rates the risk over the Gulf as high and tells European-regulated airlines not to fly over the waters of the Gulf inside the Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha and Emirates flight information regions.

The important detail is the exemption. The bulletin explicitly allows those flights that are arriving at or departing from airports inside those regions. That is why European carriers are able to serve Dubai and Abu Dhabi at all, and why several have come back over the past few weeks.

Airport status

All four UAE passenger airports are open. Departure boards are the fastest way to see what is actually moving today.

Airport	Status
Dubai International (DXB)	Open. Some long-haul arrivals running late this week.
Zayed International, Abu Dhabi (AUH)	Open. Etihad has had the most delays of any UAE carrier this week.
Sharjah International (SHJ)	Open. Air Arabia is operating its scheduled network.
Al Maktoum International, Dubai (DWC)	Open, but only a handful of carriers use it. Check which Dubai airport your ticket names.

For a live view across the region, see our Middle East airport status tracker.

Which airlines are flying to the UAE?

All four UAE carriers are operating. Emirates is flying roughly 97 percent of its previous network, to about 140 destinations. Etihad is running its expanded schedule, though it has carried the heaviest delays of the week. Air Arabia is operating from its UAE bases. flydubai is on a reduced schedule and rerouting some flights, which makes both flying times and Dubai transit times longer than the timetable suggests.

Individual routes still get cancelled. Emirates dropped its Dubai to Basra service this week, and Etihad cancelled Abu Dhabi to Sochi on 4 September. Neither is a sign of a wider shutdown, but both are a reason to check your own flight number rather than the airline’s overall status.

Most foreign airlines have also returned, including Air France, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air India, IndiGo, Aeroflot, Kenya Airways and Cebu Pacific. A group of mainly European and Asian carriers is still out until late October. Our guide to when international airlines return to Dubai lists who is missing and when each is due back.

Travel advice by nationality

Government advice has diverged, so check the one that applies to your passport rather than assuming the strictest applies to everyone.

United Kingdom: the Foreign Office does not advise against travel to the UAE. It dropped that advice on 18 June 2026 and now warns of regional strikes, possible flight disruption and airspace closures.
United States: Level 3, Reconsider Travel. The embassy in Abu Dhabi issued a security alert on 1 September 2026.
Australia: Level 3, reconsider your need to travel. Smartraveller says this covers transits and layovers as well as visits.
Canada: avoid non-essential travel, updated 1 September 2026. It notes that drones have reached UAE territory or been intercepted over the country.

If your flight is affected

Check your flight number on the airline’s own status page, not just the airport board, and do not go to the airport without a confirmed departure.
If the airline cancelled the flight, open your booking first. Rebooking and refund rights depend on the carrier, the fare and the reason.
If a travel agent or an online platform issued your ticket, that seller has to make the change. Contact them rather than the airline.
Keep your phone number and email current in the booking so the airline can reach you when a schedule moves.
Read your insurance terms before you buy a replacement ticket. Many policies treat conflict-related disruption differently from an ordinary delay.

For rolling airline-by-airline detail, follow our Middle East air travel disruptions live blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is UAE airspace open right now?

Yes. It has been fully open since 2 May 2026 and all four UAE passenger airports are handling flights on 4 September 2026.

Is Dubai still limiting foreign airlines to one flight a day?

No. That cap ran from 20 April 2026 and was lifted on 2 May 2026 along with the rest of the restrictions. It has not been reintroduced.

If EASA says the risk is high, why are flights still operating?

EASA’s bulletin targets flying over Gulf waters, mainly overflights that neither take off nor land in the region. Flights arriving at or departing from UAE airports are exempt from that instruction.

Are Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia flying?

Yes. flydubai is the only one on a reduced schedule, and its rerouted flights take longer. The other three are operating close to their normal networks with individual delays and cancellations.

Can I get a refund if my UAE flight is cancelled?

It depends on the airline, your fare and why the flight was cancelled. Open your booking first, and go back to whoever issued the ticket if that was an agent or an online platform.

Sources

Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.