What to do if my Middle East flight is canceled?
Practical steps when your itinerary is disrupted in the Gulf
When airspace closures and strikes force major cancellations, responders and governments are helping passengers get home — but much of the immediate work falls to the traveller. Start by contacting the carrier and checking its official rebooking and refund policies; many airlines have established special procedures for disrupted routes and are running limited repatriation services.
Don’t cancel your ticket on your own. Airlines and official guidance have advised against canceling reservations preemptively because doing so can forfeit options the carrier might otherwise offer, including rebooking, vouchers, or government-organized repatriation flights.
Practical steps to take now:
- Contact the airline by phone, webchat, or airport desk to request rebooking or a refund. Keep reference numbers and screenshots.
- Check your travel insurance policy for coverage of cancellations, delays, and additional living expenses; save all receipts for accommodation, meals, and transport.
- Monitor government travel advice and register with your embassy or consulate if you need help; several Western governments have issued guidance and are coordinating assistance.
- Look for special repatriation or charter flights being organized by airlines or governments; the UAE and other regional authorities have announced plans to run flights to get stranded travellers home.
- Keep documentation: boarding passes, cancellation notices, and proof of extra costs to support any claim.
If you are already stranded, ask airline staff about hotel accommodation or meal vouchers and log any promises in writing. If your ticket includes onward connections, discuss the full itinerary with the carrier; reroutes may be possible without buying new tickets. Above all, stay in touch with official channels — airline apps, government advisories, and airport announcements — because options and schedules are changing rapidly.