Dubai Airports’ live departure board showed 17 Flydubai rotations to Tehran, Shiraz and Mashhad marked “cancelled” on 9 January, with Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and Qatar Airways quickly following suit. The wave of cancellations comes amid nationwide protests and an internet blackout in Iran ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/ae/dubai-iran-air-corridor-disrupted-as-17-flydubai-services-and-other-regional-flights-scrubbed/)).
Risk assessment. Airlines officially cited “operational reasons,” but aviation-safety consultants point to unstable air-traffic data links and uncertainty over air-defence postures during civil unrest. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has not issued a blanket ban, yet carriers must now file enhanced risk assessments before entering Iranian airspace.
Business-mobility fallout. The UAE is a key staging point for engineers and traders servicing Iran’s manufacturing zones. Corporations face costly reroutings via Doha or Istanbul and may need to activate duty-of-care protocols for staff already in Iran. Last-minute economy fares on alternative routes have jumped above US $900 one-way.
![Dubai–Iran air corridor hit as protests trigger mass flight cancellations]()
Advice for mobility managers. Track staff movements in real time, brief travellers on alternative exit options such as land crossings into Armenia, and confirm insurance validity under “civil commotion” clauses. Visa teams should be prepared to expedite UAE re-entry permits for travellers forced to return early.
For organisations needing rapid visa and permit solutions, VisaHQ’s UAE portal can streamline filings for emergency re-entry passes, business visas and onward travel documentation, all through an end-to-end digital dashboard—see https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ for details.
Outlook. If unrest persists, analysts anticipate further schedule cuts, potentially affecting cargo flows just as UAE firms gear up for 2026 expansion plans.
Risk assessment. Airlines officially cited “operational reasons,” but aviation-safety consultants point to unstable air-traffic data links and uncertainty over air-defence postures during civil unrest. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has not issued a blanket ban, yet carriers must now file enhanced risk assessments before entering Iranian airspace.
Business-mobility fallout. The UAE is a key staging point for engineers and traders servicing Iran’s manufacturing zones. Corporations face costly reroutings via Doha or Istanbul and may need to activate duty-of-care protocols for staff already in Iran. Last-minute economy fares on alternative routes have jumped above US $900 one-way.
Advice for mobility managers. Track staff movements in real time, brief travellers on alternative exit options such as land crossings into Armenia, and confirm insurance validity under “civil commotion” clauses. Visa teams should be prepared to expedite UAE re-entry permits for travellers forced to return early.
For organisations needing rapid visa and permit solutions, VisaHQ’s UAE portal can streamline filings for emergency re-entry passes, business visas and onward travel documentation, all through an end-to-end digital dashboard—see https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ for details.
Outlook. If unrest persists, analysts anticipate further schedule cuts, potentially affecting cargo flows just as UAE firms gear up for 2026 expansion plans.
