Passengers across the United Arab Emirates are facing fresh travel headaches on December 30, 2025, after nine flights operated by major international carriers were cancelled out of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.

The disruptions, which hit prominent routes to Islamabad, Lahore, Johannesburg, Zanzibar, Paris, Newark, Dhaka, and Amritsar, involve airlines including Flydubai, Air France, United Airlines, Air India, and Pakistan International Airlines, and add to a wider pattern of operational strain affecting Gulf aviation hubs.

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What Happened Across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah

According to updated operational data, a total of nine flights were cancelled across the UAE’s three busiest airports: Dubai International, Abu Dhabi International, and Sharjah International.

The affected services span short, medium, and long-haul routes and involve a mix of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, underlining how the disruption is not confined to any one segment of the market.

At Sharjah International Airport, Pakistan International Airlines cancelled flight PIA182, an Airbus A320 service bound for Islamabad that had been scheduled to depart at 3:30 pm on Tuesday.

This cancellation effectively cut one of the key direct links between the northern Emirates and Pakistan’s capital, a route heavily used by expatriate workers, visiting families, and business travelers.

Abu Dhabi International Airport reported multiple cancellations as well. Pakistan International Airlines’ PIA264, an A320 service to Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, was removed from the schedule after being slated for an early morning departure.

Separately, Ethiopian Airlines cancelled flight ETD956, a Boeing 777-200 service to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, which had been scheduled for Monday morning, severing a significant Africa connection from the UAE’s capital.

Dubai International, the region’s largest hub, recorded the highest number of cancellations, with several marquee long-haul services among those affected. These include flights to Zanzibar, Paris, Newark, Dhaka, and Amritsar, operated by a mix of low-cost and full-service airlines, underscoring the breadth of the disruption.

Key Routes Hit: From South Asia to Europe and Africa

The current wave of cancellations has had a particularly marked impact on South Asian routes, which constitute some of the busiest and most economically important corridors from the UAE.

Flights to Islamabad, Lahore, Dhaka, and Amritsar all feature on the latest list of axed services, affecting thousands of travelers who rely on frequent, often overnight connections between the Gulf and the subcontinent.

From Dubai, a Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX service, flight FDB1257 to Zanzibar, scheduled for just after midnight on Wednesday, was cancelled, affecting leisure travelers and those connecting onwards into East Africa.

Air France’s AFR645, a Boeing 777-200 service from Dubai to Paris Charles de Gaulle with a morning departure slot, was also scrapped, disrupting itineraries for passengers connecting onward across Europe and North America.

United Airlines’ UAL163, a Boeing 777-300ER service to Newark Liberty International Airport due to leave Dubai at 2:15 am on Tuesday, was among the most high-profile cancellations, severing an important nonstop transcontinental link between the UAE and the US East Coast for the day.

Also affected was flight UBG342, a Boeing 737-800 to Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport, and Air India’s AXB192, an A320neo service from Dubai to Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, which had been scheduled for Monday evening.

Taken together with the Islamabad and Lahore cancellations out of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, the disruptions underscore the vulnerability of high-demand expatriate routes during periods of operational stress, regardless of whether they are operated by Gulf carriers, European legacy airlines, or South Asian national airlines.

Operational Pressures Behind the Cancellations

While airlines have not released detailed public explanations for each individual cancellation, industry analysts point to a mix of operational factors that have weighed on carriers across the Gulf in recent weeks and months.

These range from aircraft availability and rotating maintenance needs to crew scheduling challenges and wider regional airspace constraints linked to geopolitical tensions.

Recent operational advisories from carriers such as Flydubai have highlighted how adverse weather, peak-season congestion, and knock-on effects from earlier delays can cascade into later cancellations when schedules are already tight.

Episodes of heavy rain and low visibility earlier in December led to select cancellations and diversions, and some airlines are still working to reset their networks to normal rhythm as passenger volumes remain elevated over the holiday travel period.

Separately, regional events this year have periodically forced Gulf-based carriers to suspend or reroute flights, particularly over conflict-affected areas.

Temporary closures or restrictions of airspace over parts of the Middle East and South Asia have prompted airlines to take a more cautious approach to network planning, building in buffers that can sometimes manifest as late-notice cancellations when safety or regulatory considerations change.

On top of these structural issues, the end-of-year travel surge traditionally places added strain on airport infrastructure and ground handling resources.

With Dubai and Abu Dhabi already among the world’s busiest hubs by international passenger volume, any misalignment between scheduled capacity, available aircraft, and crew rosters can quickly translate into visible disruption for travelers.

How the Disruptions Are Rippling Through the Region

The nine confirmed cancellations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah come amid wider evidence of strain across Gulf aviation networks on December 30.

Separate data on the same day show that Dubai International and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport together registered hundreds of delays and several cancellations, affecting carriers ranging from Emirates and Flydubai to Saudia, Flynas, and major international airlines.

Dubai alone has seen several hundred flight disruptions in the form of delays and a smaller number of cancellations, positioning the emirate at the center of a broader wave of travel chaos stretching across major hubs in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait.

For passengers, this means that even those whose individual flights are operating on schedule may still face missed connections, long queues at transfer desks, and limited rebooking options as alternative services quickly fill up.

The impact is particularly acute for travelers relying on tight onward connections, such as those connecting in Dubai or Abu Dhabi from Africa or Europe to South Asia and Southeast Asia.

With a number of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh routes already affected by cancellations or schedule changes earlier in the year, the latest disruptions compound an environment where reliability on certain corridors has been under pressure.

Travel agents in the region report elevated demand for last-minute alternatives, including indirect routings through secondary hubs in the Gulf and beyond.

However, as airlines work to absorb displaced passengers and protect their most profitable long-haul sectors, options can be limited, especially for economy-class travelers and those holding the most restrictive fare types.

What Airlines Are Telling Their Customers

Airlines involved in or adjacent to the current disruption cycle are urging passengers to stay closely connected to official communication channels.

Operators including Flydubai and other Gulf carriers have reiterated through their operational updates that safety of passengers and crew remains the overriding priority, and that flights will only operate through approved and safe airspace even when that means short-notice cancellations or rerouting.

Carriers are advising travelers to monitor their flight status via official apps and websites, to ensure that their contact details are updated in booking profiles, and to take advantage of online check-in wherever possible.

In recent advisories, airlines have also recommended arriving at the airport earlier than usual during peak travel periods to allow extra time for check-in, security, and potential congestion at immigration.

In many cases, passengers affected by cancellations are being offered rebooking on the next available flight, subject to seat availability and operational constraints.

Some airlines are also providing options for date changes, alternative destinations within the same region, or refunds according to their fare rules and disruption policies.

However, the precise level of flexibility can vary substantially between carriers and fare types, leading to inconsistent experiences for passengers caught in the same disruption event.

Customer service centers and airport ticket desks across the UAE have been reporting increased volumes, with travelers urged to use digital channels as a first line of support.

For those already in transit, airport information screens, gate announcements, and ground staff briefings remain critical sources of real-time updates.

Advice for Travelers Currently Booked to or from the UAE

For passengers planning to travel to, from, or through the UAE in the coming days, industry experts recommend adopting a more defensive approach to itinerary management.

That starts with checking flight status repeatedly in the 24 hours before departure and again just before leaving for the airport, as schedules can change at short notice during periods of operational stress.

Travelers are also encouraged to build in additional connection time when possible, particularly on self-ticketed itineraries involving separate bookings or different airlines.

While full-service carriers may offer protection on through-tickets, those who book separate legs to save on fares may find themselves more vulnerable to missed connections and out-of-pocket costs if a delay or cancellation affects one part of the journey.

Where flexibility exists, opting for flights earlier in the day can sometimes reduce the risk of knock-on disruptions from earlier schedule irregularities.

Keeping essential items, medication, and a change of clothes in carry-on luggage is strongly recommended, given the increased likelihood of extended waits or overnight stops if rebooking becomes necessary.

For travelers with time-sensitive commitments, such as business meetings, medical appointments, or onward international connections, travel planners suggest having a contingency plan in mind.

This may include identifying alternative routings via neighboring hubs, being aware of airline policies on rebooking and accommodation, and retaining all documentation and receipts in case claims need to be filed later under airline or travel insurance provisions.

Broader Context: A Year of Volatile Air Travel

The latest cancellations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah are occurring against a backdrop of a particularly volatile year for air travel across the Middle East and adjacent regions.

Conflicts, airspace closures, and political tensions have repeatedly forced carriers to suspend, reroute, or curtail services, especially over parts of Iran, Iraq, and neighboring countries. Episodes of intense regional conflict have led to temporary shutdowns of key corridors, impacting not only direct services but also long-haul flights that normally overfly these territories.

Earlier in 2025, airlines operating out of the UAE and other Gulf states temporarily halted or rerouted flights to multiple countries in the Middle East and Caucasus due to military operations and airspace restrictions.

Separately, escalations between India and Pakistan led to the closure or partial restriction of Pakistani airspace, prompting widespread cancellations and delays on South Asian routes from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and putting additional stress on carriers serving high-density expatriate markets.

Within this environment, today’s nine confirmed cancellations represent a smaller piece of a much larger pattern in which airlines must constantly balance commercial commitments, passenger expectations, and safety imperatives amid rapidly shifting operational conditions.

Industry observers note that while overall capacity and demand have largely recovered from the pandemic years, the resilience of global aviation networks remains tested by geopolitical shocks and infrastructure bottlenecks.

For UAE travelers in particular, this means that even with world-class airport facilities and a dense web of international connections, the flight experience can still be heavily influenced by factors far beyond the country’s borders.

Many carriers continue to stress that real-time responsiveness and passenger communication are essential components of maintaining trust during such periods of heightened uncertainty.

FAQ

Q1. Which airlines have cancelled flights in the latest UAE disruption?
Flydubai, Air France, United Airlines, Air India, Pakistan International Airlines, and at least one African carrier are among the airlines with flights cancelled out of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah in the latest update.

Q2. How many flights have been cancelled and from which airports?
A total of nine flights have been cancelled across the UAE’s three main hubs, with Dubai International recording the highest number, followed by Abu Dhabi International and Sharjah International.

Q3. Which destinations are directly affected by these cancellations?
The cancellations impact services to Islamabad, Lahore, Johannesburg, Zanzibar, Paris, Newark, Dhaka, and Amritsar, along with related connections that depend on these trunk routes.

Q4. Are these disruptions linked to weather or geopolitical tensions?
The latest cancellations appear to result from a combination of operational pressures, including aircraft and crew availability and broader network strain, set against a year already marked by weather-related disruptions and regional geopolitical tensions affecting airspace.

Q5. What should I do if my flight from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Sharjah is cancelled?
If your flight is cancelled, you should first check your airline’s app or website for automatic rebooking options, then contact customer service if needed, and avoid going to the airport until you have a confirmed alternative or clear instructions from the carrier.

Q6. Will airlines provide hotel accommodation or compensation?
Whether you receive hotel accommodation or compensation depends on the airline’s policies, the reason for the cancellation, and your ticket type; some carriers may offer accommodation and meal vouchers, while others may limit assistance to rebooking or refunds.

Q7. How can I reduce the risk of being stranded during this period?
You can reduce risk by monitoring your flight status closely, allowing extra time for connections, choosing earlier departures where possible, keeping essentials in your carry-on baggage, and understanding your airline’s disruption and refund policies before travel.

Q8. Are connecting passengers more affected than point-to-point travelers?
Connecting passengers often face greater challenges because a cancellation or delay on one segment can cause missed onward flights, and rebooking complex itineraries can be harder, especially when different airlines or separate tickets are involved.

Q9. Is it safe to book new flights through Dubai and Abu Dhabi right now?
Yes, the airports remain open and the vast majority of flights are operating, but given the current pressures, travelers booking new trips should build in flexibility, consider travel insurance, and stay prepared for possible schedule changes.

Q10. Where can I find the most accurate, up-to-date information on my flight?
The most reliable sources are your airline’s official website or mobile app and the flight status pages of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah airports; third-party tracking tools can be useful but should be cross-checked against official channels.