UAE-Iran flights resume after Tehran opens airspace
A flydubai spokesperson confirmed to Khaleej Times 'flights to Bandar Abbas, Mashhad and Tehran in Iran have resumed.'
'We continue to monitor the situation closely and amend our schedule as required, adding more capacity or revisions where necessary,' added the spokesperson for the Dubai-based carrier, noting: 'Customers are advised to ensure their contact details are up to date and to check the status of their flights before they travel.'
Iran announced on Thursday that it has reopened its airspace, including over Tehran, after closing it on June 13 due to the conflict with Israel, according to Iranian state media IRNA.
"Tehran's Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini international airports, as well as those in the north, east, west and south of the country, have been reopened and are ready to operate flights," IRNA announced.
Flights from Sharjah
Sharjah-based Air Arabia will resume previously suspended flights to Tehran, Shiraz, and Lar starting July 6.
'Customers are advised to book via the website or by calling our contact center. (We) remain fully committed to the safety of our customers and crew, and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this period,' Air Arabia posted on its website.
Still suspended
Meanwhile, Emirates has yet to revise its earlier announcement of flight cancellations to/from Tehran until July 9.
'Customers connecting through Dubai (via Emirates) with final destinations in Iran will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice,' Emirates noted, adding: 'Customers impacted by flight cancellations must contact their travel agency for rebooking.
'We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers. We continue to closely monitor developments. The safety of our passengers, employees and operations will always be our top priority,' added the Dubai-based airline.
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The number of net violations (accepted minus dismissed violations) grew by 20.3% YoY in Q2 2025, reaching 808,500 and representing 0.4% of net toll traffic, with revenue from fines contributing 8.5% to total revenue in Q2 2025. • Tag activation fees: grew strongly in the first half, up 16.2% YoY to AED 22.9 million, with revenue growing 15.0% YoY to AED 11.5 million in Q2 2025. Tag activation fees contributed 1.5% of total revenue in Q2 2025. Ancillary Revenue Streams • Total ancillary revenue for Salik reached AED 8.7 million during H1 2025 driven by revenues from Parking Payment Solutions partnerships with Emaar Malls and Parkonic. The strong performance was driven by increased transaction volumes at Dubai Mall in addition to increasing traction in its cooperation with Parkonic since the launch of the cooperation in mid-February, with rollout across several locations progressing well, as operations are now live in 73 out of 154 locations. 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Net profit after taxes reached AED 400.2 million in Q2 2025, a 49.6% YoY increase. Net profit after taxes increased 8.0% compared to Q1 2025. Net profit margin expanded by 70 bps to 50.5% in H1 2025, with margin expanding 140 bps to 51.6% in Q2 2025 compared to Q2 2024. Summary of balance sheet: net debt of AED 4,853.0 million, with T12M leverage improving to 2.55x compared to 2.7x in Q1 2025 Salik recorded a net working capital balance of AED -665.0 million as of June 30, 2025, equating to 21.8% as a percentage of annualized revenue, broadly in line with the level recorded in Q1 2025. The increase in net working capital in 2025 compared to prior quarters is driven by the semi-annual installments for the toll rights fees relating to the new toll gates, in addition to higher provisions for the corporate tax. As at June 30, 2025, net debt stood at AED 4,853.0 million, a 4.4% increase from AED 4,648.8 million at the end of Q1 2025. This translates to a trailing twelve-month net debt/EBITDA ratio of 2.55x in Q2 2025, an improvement versus the 2.7x at the end of Q1 2025 and well below the Company's debt covenant of 5.0x. flow: free cash flow of AED 1,111.6 million, with a margin of 72.8% in H1 2025 Salik generated free cash flow of AED 1,111.6 million in H1 2025, up 62.4% YoY and a free cash flow margin of 72.8%, a 10.3 percentage points increase compared to 62.5% in H1 2024. Free cash flow reached AED 485.0 million in Q2 2025, up 46.1% YoY, with a free cash flow margin of 62.5%, a 20-bps improvement from 62.3% in Q2 2024. Becoming a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility solutions Core Tolling Business Implementation of variable pricing: As instructed by the RTA, based on the traffic studies and analysis, Salik introduced variable pricing on January 31, 2025. The variable pricing aims to enhance traffic flow across Dubai's road networks and improve transportation efficiency across the city. Q2 2025 represents the first full quarter of implementation of the new variable pricing system. Ancillary Revenue Streams – recap on key partnerships and initiatives • Introduction of seamless parking operations at Dubai Mall: this milestone marked Salik's first barrier-free parking payment solution, in partnership with Emaar Malls, across the Fashion, Grand and Cinema parking zones of Dubai Mall, where operations commenced on July 1, 2024. Revenues from the partnership reached AED 5.6 million in H1 2025, with Q2 revenue reaching AED 2.9 million. • Collaboration with Parkonic, one of the largest private parking operators in the UAE: the collaboration aims to enhance parking payment experiences across the UAE by integrating Salik's advanced e-Wallet system. The partnership is based on a five-year contract, during which Parkonic will integrate Salik's Account into all the current locations it operates in as well as any future locations it may operate in the UAE. The agreement also marks the first time Salik has expanded its service offering outside of the Emirate of Dubai. The partnership is progressing well with the solution now available across 73 locations out of 154 locations. • New LIVA motor insurance partnership: Salik partnered with LIVA (formerly RSA), a leading multi-line insurer in the GCC, to offer its customers access to market-leading insurance solutions. The partnership offers one-of-a-kind bespoke insurance solutions to drivers in the UAE, streamlining the renewal process for greater convenience and efficiency. Salik leverages its comprehensive database to provide value-added services to customers by sending timely renewal reminders to mitigate insurance coverage lapses. These notifications include a link directing customers to a LIVA landing page, where the motor insurance policy can be renewed in a few simple steps at a competitive price. • Signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ENOC to introduce smart payment solutions that enhance customer experience at ENOC petrol stations: Under the agreement, Salik and ENOC customers will enjoy a seamless experience when paying for fuel and other services including Autopro, Tasjeel and Zoom, with the option for deducting the transaction value from the customer's balance in their Salik account. This is enabled through use of cameras with technology for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), and is the same proven technology now employed at parking locations including Dubai Mall and those operated by Parkonic. Other Achievements • Continued investment in human resources: in Q2 2025 Salik expanded its full-time workforce by 26.2% YoY to 53 personnel, representing 10.4% growth as compared to year-end of 2024, with the number of nationalities represented at 12. Salik continues to progress on Emiratization, attaining a level of 30.2% in Q2 2025, with the female-to-workforce ratio at 20.8% at the end of the second quarter. Business Outlook - FY 2025 guidance revised upwards FY25 total YoY revenue growth upgraded from 28-29% to 34-36% • Revenue growth: total revenue growth in FY25 is now expected to be in the range of 34-36% year-on-year, including the impact of the two new gates introduced in November 2024 and the implementation of variable pricing on January 31, 2025. This compares to the previous expectations of 28-29% year-on-year, with a normalized growth rate of 4-5% YoY. • EBITDA margin: guidance updated and is expected to be in the range of 68.5-69.5% compared to the previous range of 68-69%
