Flight disruption and summer travel: What families in the UAE need to know

The National

4 hours ago

The end of the school summer term is always a busy time across UAE airports, as many families jet off for their holidays.
While some prefer to leave school early to get a head start on their break, others wait until after the last day of term, which falls on Thursday this year, and many more opt to stay in the UAE for a few weeks until the initial flurry at the airports calms down.
Those planning to fly out this week have had to factor ongoing travel disruption into their plans amid the tension between Iran and Israel, and following the Iranian attack on US air base in Al Udeid in Qatar.
Many flights around the region were diverted or cancelled altogether, and while many airlines are back to operating their usual routes across the Middle East, the knock-on effect of the disruption is still being felt.
Airline advice: Allow extra time at the airport and check ahead
As is typical with busy travel periods, holidaymakers have been advised to stay up to date about possible changes and leave more time to get to and around the airport.
Emirates says more than 30,000 travellers are expected to depart Dubai International Airport on Thursday and this rush will continue until June 30.
'Emirates customers should plan for extra traffic on the roads approaching the airport, busier car parks, more people at the airport going through immigration and the time it may take to travel between concourses and reach boarding gates," the airline said in a statement.
Emirates also issued advice on the amount of time travellers should allow for the check-in process. Passengers should arrive to the airport three hours before departure during peak times to ensure enough time to pass through immigration.
Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport has been urging departing passengers to 'check with their airlines before heading to the airport'.
Dubai Media Office adds: 'While Dubai Airports is working with airlines to ensure flights operate according to schedule, some flights may experience delays or cancellations.'
'We are rethinking our summer plans'
As many families try to establish the status of their existing flights – or seek to rebook cancelled ones this week – some that have been directly affected by the events on June 23 say they are reconsidering travel this summer.
One father-of-two says he is 'rethinking our summer plans' after his wife and two young daughters were on a plane that was diverted mid-flight owing to the attack on the US airbase.
'Mid-flight from Amman to Dubai, the captain announced that Qatar airspace had been closed and the plane route must be rerouted,' says the Dubai resident, who has chosen to speak anonymously.
'My wife was connected to Wi-Fi on the flight and received messages that Iran had launched missiles towards Qatar and that most Gulf countries closed their airspace. She thought that the plane would return to the outbound destination, but luckily, it didn't and it only took them around one extra hour to land,' he recounts.
He says his wife mentioned other people on the flight were calm and that no one had panicked.
He adds: 'I'm currently in China on business and am hoping that everything calms down before my return end of this month. But yes, we are rethinking our summer plans for sure. We will most likely avoid travelling this summer unless we feel that there is no more tension in the region.'
The National contributor and mother-of-two Katy Gillett says keeping an eye on regional activity has become a priority when planning her travels in July and August.
'After the events in Qatar on Monday, and the fact that my husband got turned around back to Europe on a flight heading to Dubai, we've been considering meeting him in the UK, where my parents live,' she says. 'I'm not overly worried for our safety in the UAE, but I am concerned about further flight disruptions and not being able to reach my elderly parents if needed.'
Uncertainty continues around flights and plans
'We were supposed to fly to Crete in a few weeks via Tel Aviv, but the first part of the trip has been cancelled,' says Sara Rafaghello, a mother of two who lives in Dubai. 'I spoke to the booking agent, who said to leave it for now and see if there's a chance the flight will come back online. The second part of the journey to Crete hasn't been cancelled.'
She adds: 'I had booked the cheapest and quickest ticket because usually the flight is between 10 to 14 hours, but this was just six with the layover. I will either have to rebook new flights or wait a week and see what happens and hope the flight is reinstated.'
Sofia Jones and her family's travel plans have also been impacted, despite the fact that they aren't due to fly for two weeks. She is planning to fly to Vancouver with her two sons on July 9.
'We had originally booked with Air Canada and that was back in December 2024, but I received emails from Air Canada this week saying they have cancelled all flights to Dubai until August 5,' she says.
'Personally, I think the cancellations are a bit extreme seeing that we weren't due to travel for another two weeks. Many other airlines are continuing to operate, so why wouldn't or couldn't they? Fortunately, we found an alternative route departing the same day around the same time which isn't inconvenient.'