GULF RESIDENTS FACE MOUNTING TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS AS US-IRAN CONFLICT DEEPENS
Six months into the standoff between the US and Iran, the most immediate pressure point for people living across the Gulf is the airport. Saturday evening in the UAE brings no clarity: flight schedules remain fragmented, fuel shortages are spreading through the region, and a diplomatic scramble at the United Nations shows little sign of producing results.
For anyone planning to travel, the situation is genuinely unpredictable. Regional flights to Bahrain and Kuwait are largely running on schedule through Emirates, flydubai and Etihad, yet Air Arabia has cancelled multiple services to both destinations. Longer delays have struck South Asia routes today, with Etihad reporting slowdowns to Karachi, Delhi, Peshawar and Kochi, while Air Arabia Abu Dhabi faced morning disruptions across Cairo, several Indian cities and Pakistan.
The international picture is far more severe.
Air France has suspended Dubai service through September 8. Cathay Pacific has pulled out until November 30. British Airways is not expected to resume Dubai flights until October 25, and even then at reduced frequency. Singapore Airlines, ITA Airways, AirBaltic and Finnair have all suspended operations through late October. Air Canada has gone furthest, with Dubai service suspended until mid-January 2027. Virgin Atlantic has suspended London-Dubai flights indefinitely. Korean Air has suspended Incheon-Dubai service with no return date announced.
Some carriers are beginning to recover. Turkish Airlines has resumed Dubai and Abu Dhabi service, though Iran routes remain closed. Qatar Airways has restored multiple daily flights to Dubai and resumed service to Bahrain, Kuwait and Erbil, bringing its network back to roughly 85 percent of pre-war levels. Air India and Air India Express have fully restored their Gulf network. Regional carriers flynas and Jazeera Airways continue daily or selected service to Dubai and across the Gulf.
The conflict’s reach extends far beyond airports. In Yemen, fighting between government forces and Houthi rebels has killed more than 60 people in recent clashes, including 26 government troops and 31 Houthi fighters. A missile strike on a civilian bus in Taiz killed six people and wounded seven more. In Iraq, fuel queues have returned as import disruptions compound the country’s refining crisis. Despite being OPEC’s second-largest producer, Iraq cannot meet domestic demand with its own refineries and depends on imports to fill the gap.
Iran has claimed that the US struck one of its tankers near Kharg Island with four missiles, adding that the crew was being evacuated with no casualties reported. The claim came without supporting evidence, and the US has not responded. Earlier reports described explosions in the area, but neither side has confirmed specific details.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic track shows movement but limited promise. The EU has strongly condemned Iran’s latest attacks on the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and criticized strikes on Saudi vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Brussels is calling for de-escalation and full implementation of UN Resolution 2817. The US, UK, France and Germany have drafted a UN resolution to refer Iran to the Security Council over its nuclear obligations, with a vote expected next week in Vienna, though Russian and Chinese vetoes are likely to block punitive action.
President Trump has warned that the US could strike Iran’s underground Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site “very soon,” noting that US forces have already destroyed Iranian radar installations twice. He has characterized the five-month campaign as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Trump also downplayed the conflict as “small potatoes,” a comment that came a day after Vice President JD Vance said he would not even call it a war. The conflict has killed 18 US troops and thousands of Iranians, with Iran continuing to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and fuel prices rising in ways that threaten Republican prospects ahead of the midterms.
Travel advisories from major countries reflect the uncertainty. The UK has lifted its “essential travel only” warning for the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar but still flags unpredictable delays. Australia has downgraded its UAE advice from “Do Not Travel” to “Reconsider Your Need to Travel.” The US maintains the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman at Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” and has ordered non-emergency government staff and their families out of the UAE. Canada advises a high degree of caution across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, recommending that residents keep documents updated and supplies ready in case of a shelter-in-place situation.
For residents flying this evening, checking flight status directly with airlines remains essential, even if confirmation came earlier in the day. Three hours of buffer time is generally recommended at the airport, though flydubai passengers should plan for four. Completing online check-in and monitoring official airline channels for last-minute changes can help, but with Virgin Atlantic’s suspension carrying no end date and Air Canada’s pause stretching into 2027, the harder question for many Gulf residents is not how early to arrive, but whether their flight will exist at all.