Travelers at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi faced significant flight disruptions on September 2, 2026, due to regional airspace restrictions and rising military tensions in West Asia.
- Air India Express flight IX178 from Abu Dhabi to Delhi was delayed by approximately 6 hours and 25 minutes.
- Etihad Airways flights from Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, and Bengaluru experienced delays.
- Air Arabia Abu Dhabi services from Kozhikode and Ahmedabad faced similar issues.
On September 2, 2026,
Air India Express flight IX178 from Abu Dhabi to Delhi experienced a delay of approximately 6 hours and 25 minutes. Additionally, the Delhi-Abu Dhabi flight IX179, originally scheduled to depart Delhi at 8:25 a.m. and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 10:55 a.m., was rescheduled to depart at 3:00 p.m. and arrive at 5:15 p.m., a delay of 6 hours and 35 minutes for departure and 6 hours and 20 minutes for arrival. The return IX178 service, originally set to depart Abu Dhabi at 11:55 a.m. to arrive in Delhi at 5:30 p.m., was rescheduled for an approximate 6:20 p.m. departure and 11:20 p.m. arrival.
Etihad Airways services were also affected. The Delhi–Abu Dhabi flight EY213 departed at 11:08 a.m. instead of 9:25 a.m., a delay of 1 hour and 40 minutes. The Chennai–Abu Dhabi flight EY343 departed at 11:17 a.m. against a scheduled 10:15 a.m. departure, with an estimated arrival at 1:22 p.m. UAE time. The Kochi–Abu Dhabi flight EY331 departed at 11:55 a.m. instead of 10:30 a.m., arriving at 1:48 p.m. instead of the scheduled 12:55 p.m. Furthermore, Etihad's Bengaluru–Abu Dhabi flight EY239 was also delayed. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi services from Kozhikode and Ahmedabad faced similar issues. The Kozhikode–Abu Dhabi flight 3L201 departed at 5:32 a.m. instead of 4:35 a.m., arriving at 7:19 a.m., a delay of 57 minutes. The Ahmedabad–Abu Dhabi flight 3L112 was also included in the affected list. Airlines cited that the cascading effect of aircraft rotations and crew scheduling adjustments, compounded by airspace restrictions, necessitated these delays.
Etihad Airways advised that for passengers with connecting flights on the same booking, automatic rebooking is standard, with updates available via the 'Manage Booking' section. Passengers with separate tickets or onward flights on other airlines are advised to contact their respective carriers. Passengers are strongly urged to verify the latest flight status via official airline websites or mobile apps before heading to the airport and to adhere to original check-in deadlines unless specifically instructed otherwise by the airline.
