Less than 24 hours after the UAE’s brief airspace shutdown, Emirates Airline confirmed it has resumed a “reduced flight schedule” and extended its flexible rebooking and refund policy for tickets impacted by the security situation. In an operational bulletin stamped “Last updated: 17 March 2026, 13:00 Dubai (GMT +4)”, the carrier said customers booked to travel between 28 February and 15 April can rebook up to nine times or obtain a full fare refund without penalty. While the flag-carrier’s signature trunk routes to London, Sydney and Mumbai are running, frequencies have been trimmed to ease congestion in Dubai International’s recovery wave. Flights continue to avoid restricted air corridors over the Strait of Hormuz, adding 25-50 minutes to typical east-west sectors, according to flight-tracking data. Cargo capacity remains tight, with Emirates SkyCargo prioritising temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals and critical spare parts for regional oil-and-gas operators. For mobility managers, the new waiver offers an important safety valve: employees holding non-refundable corporate tickets can shift travel dates into late May, or route through alternate hubs such as Doha or Jeddah, without incurring change fees.
![Emirates restarts limited network and extends disruption waiver after 17 March closure]()
Amid these shifting flight schedules, travellers should also ensure their travel documents remain valid. VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) can expedite visa applications, clarify last-minute entry requirements and coordinate courier delivery, helping corporate mobility teams keep personnel moving smoothly even as itineraries change.
Travel-management companies (TMCs) report a surge in demand for fifth-freedom itineraries via Singapore and Bangkok as businesses look to bypass Gulf congestion. Emirates cautions travellers not to go to the airport unless they have received a confirmed rebooking notification, and warns that city check-in points across Dubai remain closed. The airline is also limiting station upgrades and chauffeur-drive bookings to conserve resources while crews and aircraft are repositioned. Companies should therefore budget for self-transfer costs and aim to ticket staff on daytime departures to minimise overnight disruption. Industry analysts expect Emirates to restore close-to-normal capacity by the first week of April, provided no further missile activity occurs. However, the carrier’s willingness to keep its change-fee waiver in place until mid-April suggests it anticipates at least two more weeks of operational volatility. Mobility teams are advised to maintain flexible hotel reservations and to monitor future updates on Emirates’ travel-updates portal every 12 hours.
Amid these shifting flight schedules, travellers should also ensure their travel documents remain valid. VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) can expedite visa applications, clarify last-minute entry requirements and coordinate courier delivery, helping corporate mobility teams keep personnel moving smoothly even as itineraries change.
Travel-management companies (TMCs) report a surge in demand for fifth-freedom itineraries via Singapore and Bangkok as businesses look to bypass Gulf congestion. Emirates cautions travellers not to go to the airport unless they have received a confirmed rebooking notification, and warns that city check-in points across Dubai remain closed. The airline is also limiting station upgrades and chauffeur-drive bookings to conserve resources while crews and aircraft are repositioned. Companies should therefore budget for self-transfer costs and aim to ticket staff on daytime departures to minimise overnight disruption. Industry analysts expect Emirates to restore close-to-normal capacity by the first week of April, provided no further missile activity occurs. However, the carrier’s willingness to keep its change-fee waiver in place until mid-April suggests it anticipates at least two more weeks of operational volatility. Mobility teams are advised to maintain flexible hotel reservations and to monitor future updates on Emirates’ travel-updates portal every 12 hours.
