Emirates Restarts Partial Bahrain Flights While Kuwait Services Remain Grounded

Emirates is set to resume flights between Dubai and Bahrain from Saturday, August 15, following weeks of cancellations caused by regional tensions. The airline currently lists one service, EK839, which is scheduled to depart Dubai International Airport at 4pm and arrive in Bahrain at 4.20pm local time. This return marks a limited service resumption on a route where Emirates previously operated three daily flights, while its other scheduled Bahrain flights, EK835 and EK837, remain cancelled for the time being.

Meanwhile, Emirates services connecting Dubai and Kuwait remain suspended, with no flights currently listed on the airline's website. Previously, the airline suspended all three of its daily Bahrain services and four daily Kuwait flights, namely EK853, EK855, EK857, and EK859, amid Gulf disruptions. Other international operators, including Air Canada, Air France, and Scoot, have also extended their respective flight suspensions across the region.

A disclaimer on the official website of Emirates states that only Emirates-operated services are displayed, advising passengers to check codeshare partner websites for connecting flights. Concurrently, Etihad Airways continues to operate a reduced schedule between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. Flights EY643 and EY644, operating between Zayed International Airport and Bahrain International Airport, will run as scheduled, though three other return services—EY641-EY642, EY645-EY646, and EY647-EY648—face cancellations until August 21, with affected passengers receiving alternative travel arrangements.

Etihad also maintains a single daily flight to Kuwait, featuring service EY653 departing Abu Dhabi at 8.25am. Other UAE carriers, such as flydubai and Air Arabia, continue operating to Bahrain and Kuwait despite experiencing occasional flight cancellations. In addition, Qatar Airways has resumed daily services to Bahrain, Kuwait, and Erbil, while maintaining ongoing flights between Doha and UAE destinations including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.

Regional carriers like Kuwait Airways, Jazeera Airways, and Bahrain's Gulf Air continue to operate regular services connecting their respective hubs to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. However, operational adjustments extend well beyond UAE airlines. Amid ongoing threats between the US and Iran and continuing airspace restrictions, international carriers are constantly revising schedules. Air Canada extended its Tel Aviv and Dubai suspensions until mid-January 2027, KLM halted services to Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam until September 6 to avoid airspace over Iran, Iraq, Israel, and parts of the Arabian Gulf, and Lufthansa Group along with Air France have similarly adjusted or suspended operations to various Middle East destinations due to security concerns.