After a week-long shutdown of large swathes of Gulf airspace, Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia released coordinated recovery schedules for 9 March 2026. The Economic Times obtained the consolidated list, which shows more than 50 departures from Dubai and Abu Dhabi—including Emirates flights to Toronto, Sydney and São Paulo and Etihad services to New York, Frankfurt and Seoul. Passengers holding tickets for travel between 28 February and 31 March may rebook without penalty, and full refunds are available for cancelled sectors. Transit through Dubai is permitted only when onward flights are confirmed to operate, limiting same-day connections for multinational assignees heading to Africa, Europe or the Americas.
![UAE airlines publish 9 March recovery timetables and offer fee-free rebooking]()
Travellers facing sudden itinerary changes may also need to update their visa paperwork. VisaHQ can expedite UAE entry permits and arrange documentation for onward destinations through its online platform, providing a one-stop solution during the recovery period: https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/
Each carrier warns travellers *not* to proceed to the airport unless they have received direct confirmation; city check-in desks across Dubai remain closed. Travellers should update contact details in “Manage Booking” tools to receive SMS alerts when flights are retimed or moved to the smaller Al Maktoum International Airport. Corporate mobility teams should refresh travel-risk assessments. While insurers treat the shutdown as a force-majeure event (no EC 261 compensation applies), most carriers are still providing meals and hotel vouchers for overnight delays. Employers planning group moves in March should consider charter or split-routing options until the air-space picture stabilises.
Travellers facing sudden itinerary changes may also need to update their visa paperwork. VisaHQ can expedite UAE entry permits and arrange documentation for onward destinations through its online platform, providing a one-stop solution during the recovery period: https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/
Each carrier warns travellers *not* to proceed to the airport unless they have received direct confirmation; city check-in desks across Dubai remain closed. Travellers should update contact details in “Manage Booking” tools to receive SMS alerts when flights are retimed or moved to the smaller Al Maktoum International Airport. Corporate mobility teams should refresh travel-risk assessments. While insurers treat the shutdown as a force-majeure event (no EC 261 compensation applies), most carriers are still providing meals and hotel vouchers for overnight delays. Employers planning group moves in March should consider charter or split-routing options until the air-space picture stabilises.
