On 5 December the Gulf’s two busiest hubs—Dubai International (DXB) and the new Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi—experienced an unusually high volume of disruptions: 14 cancellations and more than 800 delays, according to FlightAware data compiled by Travel & Tour World.
The operational crunch was attributed to a perfect storm of dense morning fog, holiday-season passenger volumes and aircraft-rotation bottlenecks. DXB logged 270 delays, while Abu Dhabi saw over 110. Knock-on effects rippled to Saudi gateways, where Jeddah and Riyadh each recorded additional cancellations.
![Wave of 815 flight delays and 14 cancellations snarls UAE hub schedules]()
National carriers Emirates, Etihad and flydubai were among the airlines hardest hit, forcing corporate travel managers to scramble for re-routing options and overnight accommodation. Hoteliers in Dubai’s business districts reported a spike in last-minute bookings as stranded passengers sought rooms.
Under UAE consumer-protection rules, airlines must offer refunds or alternative itineraries when flights are cancelled for operational reasons. Mobility teams planning year-end travel should build longer layovers through mid-December and monitor carrier notifications closely.
The operational crunch was attributed to a perfect storm of dense morning fog, holiday-season passenger volumes and aircraft-rotation bottlenecks. DXB logged 270 delays, while Abu Dhabi saw over 110. Knock-on effects rippled to Saudi gateways, where Jeddah and Riyadh each recorded additional cancellations.
National carriers Emirates, Etihad and flydubai were among the airlines hardest hit, forcing corporate travel managers to scramble for re-routing options and overnight accommodation. Hoteliers in Dubai’s business districts reported a spike in last-minute bookings as stranded passengers sought rooms.
Under UAE consumer-protection rules, airlines must offer refunds or alternative itineraries when flights are cancelled for operational reasons. Mobility teams planning year-end travel should build longer layovers through mid-December and monitor carrier notifications closely.
