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Flights from UAE to Singapore Changi resume amid Middle East conflict

Samira Vishwas | March 5, 2026 12:24 PM CST

By Hoang Vu &nbspMarch 4, 2026 | 06:12 pm PT

An Abu Dhabi Etihad Airways plane. Photo by AFP

Etihad Airways and Emirates have begun resuming limited flight services between the United Arab Emirates and Singapore as regional airspace disruptions stemming from the Middle East conflict continue to impact commercial aviation operations.

Etihad has made seats available for flights from Abu Dhabi to Singapore beginning March 5.

In response, the Singapore Embassy in Abu Dhabi urged Singaporeans in the UAE to move quickly to secure tickets, cautioning that demand is likely to outstrip supply, Channel News Asia reported.

In a Facebook advisory issued Wednesday, the embassy recommended that those intending to leave the country book immediately via Etihad’s official website.

It warned of heavy web traffic and possible booking delays due to heightened demand.

Travelers were also advised to reconfirm directly with the airline that their flight is proceeding as scheduled before heading to the airport.

The first of two flights scheduled to arrive in Singapore from the UAE on Thursday touched down at Changi Airport shortly before 8:20 a.m., The Straits Times reported.

Emirates flight EK314 departed Dubai for Singapore shortly after 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

Major airports in the Middle East, including Dubai’s, were shut on Feb. 28 amid the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran, leaving Singaporeans in the region scrambling to find a way home.

The Middle East conflict began last Saturday when the U.S. and Israel carried out military strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with attacks targeting Israel as well as Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

At least eight countries, including Qatar, Jordan and the UAE, have since closed their airspace, according to The Guardian.

As a result, flights to and from several Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai, the world’s busiest for international traffic, have been suspended.