Authorities have implemented strict temporary flight restrictions for international airlines at Dubai International Airport (DXB), which has seen what is regarded as one the greatest operational changes in years.
Earlier this month, foreign airlines also imposed a new operational directive that caps their number of trips per day at means of one round trip in both DXB and Dubai World Central (DWC).
The closures are related to the continued regional airspace closures and military management of the corridor in parts of the Gulf region.
During the overly busy Eid Al Adha travel season, Dubai has established temporary capacity limits for foreign carriers landing at DXB and DWC.
UAE-based airlines, such as Emirates, flydubai etc. however, continue to remain operational and not affected by these restrictions.
Airlines suspended until late May – June 2026.
Few of the international airlines have suspended flights till the end of May or June while adjusting the schedule and routing systems. Check the table for the Airlines affected.
Passenger flights are expected to be few and far between. Fleet management and scheduling problems have increased airline’s cuts in some cases into the second half of the year.
Lufthansa Group Airlines:
Lufthansa
SWISS
Austrian Airlines
Brussels Airlines
All the operators have come together to stop the Dubai operations until September 13, 2026.
Air Canada:
The airline’s new suspension of DXB has been extended until September 7, 2026. These suspends have been projected to considerably affect the ability to travel in Europe-UAE traffic in the summer season.
Airlines Extending Suspensions Into Autumn
Several carriers are doing reconfigurations to whole Gulf routes outside of the summer season. Check the table for Airlines affected.
Airline
Suspended Till
Eurowings
October 24, 2026
Wizz Air
late October
British Airways
Until Autumn
Cathay Pacific
end of 2026
What to Do with Your Ticket When a Flight is Cancelled?
International aviation laws afford passengers significant rights of protection in cases where airlines suspend their flights.
If the airline has cancelled your flight directly, you may be entitled to a full refund of the unused ticket amount.
This is especially true of European airlines regulated by EU261 passenger protection regulations.
Avoid Travel Voucher Pressure
Travel credits/food vouchers may be offered as an alternative to cash instead by many airline companies in the beginning.
Travelers, however, do not have to take vouchers if they would like to be reimbursed in some other form of payment.
The way to get a clear request is a direct refund to the identical credit card, debit card or bank account in which the passengers get incurred by the suspension fee.
Free Rebooking Policies
Several airlines also have very flexible rebooking policies to make this easy for the airfreighted travelers. Here’s a list of the rebooking options currently available:
Air Astana offers free rebooking as long as July 31st.
Lufthansa Group – abolished differentiation fees and difference calculations.
By United Airlines, rerouting is free but will go through other Gulf cities.
British Airways – flexible partner-airline rerouting routing options.
With these temporary measures, travellers are not having to incur more expenses during the period of disruption.
If you booked a holiday through the online travel agencies (OTA’s), or through an OTA aggregator, you may receive a notification late.
The manual processing of thousands of changes by airlines means they may be receiving late cancellations by email.
Experts suggest that instead of looking for notifications, you may check the status of your booking manually from the airline official website.
How to Check Cancelled Flights?
The passengers must open the “Manage Booking” page of the operating airline and have to use the 6 digit PNR with them.
Note to travelers when the flight status is called cancelled, they should make refund or rebook requests with the airline themselves; do not wait for third party travel agents to make changes. This method can help to accelerate refunds and alternate transportation plans.
FAQs
Is there any impact on Emirates and flydubai?
No. Emirates/EWG and flydubai are following business as usual.
When flights cancel can all the passengers be fully reimbursed?
Yes. In your rights, you can ask for a complete cash refund should the airline cancel your flight.
If I get a travel voucher should I take it rather than its corresponding credit?
If you’re a frequent flyer who is expecting to land the same aircraft in the near future. Passengers continue to be able to claim a cash reimbursement rather than points.
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