Travellers passing through the UAE's major airports faced widespread disruption on Wednesday, with delays and cancellations affecting Dubai International Airport, Dubai World Central, Abu Dhabi International Airport and Sharjah Airport.
Flight tracking data showed some services running more than eight to ten hours behind schedule. A flight to Dhaka, originally due to depart at 2:20am, was pushed back to noon. SpiceJet flights to Kozhikode, from Kochi and from Mumbai each saw delays exceeding eight hours, while a Flydubai flight arriving from Moscow landed roughly four hours late.
Several services were cancelled outright, including SpiceJet flights to Kozhikode, Jaipur and Delhi, a Pakistan International Airlines service to Lahore, and five Air Arabia flights to Gassim, Kuwait, Bahrain and Doha. Additional routes operated by Air India Express, Emirates and Flydubai were also affected.
The disruption has been linked to closures over parts of Iranian airspace. A spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said flights bound for Baghdad were being coordinated to land instead at Najaf airport to avoid the closed corridors.
Airport authorities have advised passengers to check their flight status directly with their airline or airport before heading to the terminal, warning that further disruption in the coming days cannot be ruled out. Travellers with connecting flights through the region are particularly encouraged to build in extra time and monitor official updates closely, as schedules continue to shift.