Published Oct 27, 2026, 8:27 AM EDT Prachi is a London-based journalist with extensive experience in the aviation industry. She has worked for several leading industry publications, covering a broad range of topics. Her expertise lies in aircraft maintenance, emerging technologies, and advanced air mobility. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Journalism, focusing on data journalism and its potential to transform conventional aviation reporting. This year has been challenging for airlines, particularly those based in the Gulf, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Dubai-based flydubai has also been affected. According to aviation analytics provider Cirium, the airline's overall capacity is down by 20% compared to last year. The airline has made several cuts to its network. Simple Flying examined flydubai's scheduled flights between January and October 2026 and compared them with its schedule from November 2026 through September 2027 to identify which destinations are no longer served. These Are The Destinations Flydubai Has Removed In 2026 Credit: Great Circle Map Unsurprisingly, all eight of the Dubai-based airline’s Iranian destinations are affected by the network cuts. These include Tehran (IKA), Mashhad (MHD), Bandar Abbas (BND), Lar (LRR), Shiraz (SYZ), Esfahan (IFN), Bushehr (BUZ), and Kerman (KER). The airline operated flights to all cities earlier this year but subsequently suspended services amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Flydubai first entered the Iranian market in 2014, launching flights to Tehran and Mashhad, and subsequently expanded into several secondary cities. It has historically reported strong passenger demand on its Iranian services. At certain points last year, it scheduled more than 60 weekly departures to the country. So, these routes could return if conditions in the region improve. Other than this, Saudi Arabia is another market affected by the airline's recent network changes. Some of the services may return in the future, but there is currently no indication of that. Since the beginning of October, the Kingdom has reportedly experienced a series of attacks targeting airports and other infrastructure. Several international carriers, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways, have temporarily suspended some services to Saudi Arabia. Flydubai has also temporarily halted flights to several Saudi Arabian cities. Markets Destination(s) Remark Iran Tehran (IKA) Mashhad (MHD) Bandar Abbas (BND) Lar (LRR) Shiraz (SYZ) Isfahan (IFN) Bushehr (BUZ) Kerman (KER) Services may return if conditions in the region improve Saudi Arabia Alula (ULH) Neom Bay (NUM) Hofuf (HOF) Red Sea Project (RSI) Gizan (GIZ) Jouf (AJF) Qaisumah (AQI) Nejran (EAM) Yanbu al Bahr (YNB) Some services may return in the future, but there is no indication currently Pakistan Islamabad (ISB) Lahore (LHE) Peshawar (PEW) Malaysia Langkawi (LGK) Penang (PEN) Complete market withdrawal; Thailand is now the only Southeast Asian market that the airline serves Poland Poznan (POZ) Romania Iasi (IAS) Flydubai Exits Malaysia Just Two Years After Entering The Market Credit: Melidis Alexandros | Shutterstock Perhaps one of the more notable network cuts is Malaysia, where the UAE low-cost carrier has withdrawn from the market entirely. The airline entered the Southeast Asian country in 2024, launching year-round flights to the islands of Penang and Langkawi. At the time, it was the only carrier offering services from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to these two destinations. The airline operated the route using its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Flights from Dubai to Penang International Airport (PEN) were nonstop. Then the same aircraft continued to Langkawi International Airport (LGK). The return journey followed the same routing. At approximately 3,275 miles, the Dubai–Penang sector was also flydubai's longest route. Indeed, the service was consistent with the airline's strategy of connecting Dubai with underserved markets. However, the UAE carrier last operated the Malaysian service in March 2026 and has not scheduled its return. Its Southeast Asian network is now limited to Thailand, where it continues to serve Krabi International Airport (KBV) and Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport (DMK). Notably, flydubai has seen strong demand for its Bangkok service. The airline only launched flights to the Thai capital in July 2026, initially offering one daily departure. However, within just a few weeks, it doubled the frequency to twice daily in response to growing passenger demand. The airline will increase the service to three daily flights from December. Flydubai's Suspension Of Tel Aviv Flights Continues Credit: Alexandr Zimovskoy | Shutterstock We all remember the disturbing incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073, when one of the pilots reportedly attempted to hijack the aircraft. Following the incident, Flydubai suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv and is currently not operating any services to Israel. It typically offers ten daily flights to Tel Aviv. According to scheduling data from Cirium, the airline is scheduled to resume services on November 16, 2026. It remains unclear whether flights will restart as planned. It is worth noting that several international airlines have suspended flights to Israel for extended periods due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East. However, flydubai was one of the few foreign carriers that continued operating flights to and from the country throughout much of the conflict.
Flydubai Cancels All Flights To 24 Destinations: See Full List Now
Full Article
Original Source
Read the full article at Simpleflying →KhanList aggregates and links to publicly available news content. We do not host full articles from third-party sources. Always verify important information with original sources.