More than 170 flights at Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s main airports have been delayed so far on Sunday, while two flydubai services between Dubai and Bahrain have been cancelled.
Flight-tracking website FlightAware listed 122 delays at Dubai International Airport and 51 at Zayed International Airport as of 3.30pm UAE time. The figures are updated throughout the day.
The delays follow disruption earlier in the week, when UAE services were affected by problems including a UK air-traffic control shutdown. Airlines have also reported separate technical and weather-related incidents in recent days, although these do not establish the reasons for Sunday’s individual delays.
Dubai International Airport
Flydubai’s FZ23 service from Dubai to Bahrain and FZ24 in the opposite direction were listed as cancelled by FlightStats. The flights are also sold by Emirates under the codes EK2016 and EK2017.
FZ23 had been scheduled to leave Dubai at 7.10am and arrive in Bahrain at 7.30am local time. FZ24 had been due to depart Bahrain at 8.30am and reach Dubai at 10.45am.
The tracking records did not give a reason for the cancellations. Flydubai advises passengers to check their flight status and operational updates before heading to the airport.
Zayed International Airport
FlightAware listed 51 delays and no cancellations at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport on Sunday afternoon.
Among the delayed arrivals was Etihad Airways flight EY654 from Kuwait, which reached Abu Dhabi at 1.20pm, 25 minutes behind schedule, according to FlightStats. It departed Kuwait at 10.31am local time, 11 minutes later than scheduled.
Separately, Etihad’s travel updates detail several incidents affecting services on Friday and Saturday. The airline said Saturday’s EY237 from Bengaluru to Abu Dhabi was delayed and subsequently cancelled because of a technical issue.
A technical issue also delayed Saturday’s EY334 from Abu Dhabi to Kochi, affecting the return EY335 service. On Friday, an Abu Dhabi-to-Atlanta flight was diverted to Charlotte because of adverse weather at its destination, delaying the return service.
Advice for passengers
Passengers travelling on Sunday should check their flight status directly with their airline before leaving for the airport and monitor their email and text messages for changes.
In a travel advisory dated September 8, Emirates advised customers to check flight information and keep their booking contact details up to date. Etihad also asks affected passengers to ensure their details are correct so it can provide updates by text message or email.
