Air Canada suspends Israel flights until March 8, Dubai until March 3

This story was updated on Saturday, February 28 at 6:27 p.m. EST

Due to a “military situation” in the Middle East, Air Canada has cancelled flights from Canada to Israel until March 8 and to Dubai until March 3, the airline announced late Saturday (Feb. 28).

“We are monitoring the situation and will adjust our schedule accordingly,” the airline wrote on its X account.

Air Canada has revised its ticketing policy to make it easier for customers travelling on an affected flight to make changes to their booking without penalty (space permitting). 

Those who purchased a ticket with Air Canada Vacations are advised to contact the company directly at 1-800-296-3408.

The update comes after a series of strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, followed by Iranian retaliation, sparked a surge in regional violence on Saturday (Feb. 28), forcing much of the Middle East to close its airspace.

Dubai International and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International were shut down about 7 a.m. ET Saturday, according to a statement from Dubai Airports.

All flight operations at the airports are suspended until further notice, the agency said.

Dubai's international airport also sustained damage during an overnight Iranian attack, aviation sources said. Authorities say four people were injured.

Dubai’s media office said on X that “a concourse at Dubai International sustained minor damage in an incident, which was quickly contained,” without giving additional details.

Air Canada’s Friday Toronto-Dubai flight had departed yesterday evening (Feb. 27) but arrived arrive back in Toronto this morning (Feb. 28).

The airline cancelled its Dubai service for Saturday but has now extended the cancellations.

According to Cirium, an aviation analytics company, there were approximately 4,218 flights scheduled to arrive in Middle Eastern countries on Saturday, of which 966 were cancelled (22.9 per cent).

The number is roughly doubled to more than 1,800 cancellations when accounting for both inbound and outbound to the region.  

Some flights that were heading to the region were diverted, the company said, and most of those were from Middle Eastern carriers.

“Few non-Middle Eastern airlines had already departed at the time of the military action today,” the company said.

Cruise lines on high alert

The situation in the Middle East doesn’t just impact airlines – cruise ships are also on high alert.

Reports indicate that MSC Euribia has called off a seven-day Arabian Gulf sailing and will remain docked in Dubai, for now, instead of continuing its planned itinerary to other ports in the region.

The vessel arrived in Dubai on the morning of Friday, and had originally been scheduled to depart the following day.

Passengers on board have been notified of the change and provided with guidance on how to make the most of their additional time in the city.

“We regret to inform you that we need to change our itinerary due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East,” a letter delivered to guests’ staterooms explained, as shared by CruiseHive. “In alignment with the national authorities, it has been decided to remain in the port of Dubai until further notice.”

Passengers are reportedly allowed to disembark but are encouraged to remain within the cruise terminal area. All shore excursions have been cancelled, and guests will receive full refunds credited to their onboard accounts.

At this time, there are no reports of disruptions to onboard programming, and ship operations continue as normal.

MSC Euribia is currently docked at Cruise Terminal 3 at Port Rashid in Dubai, which is about 20 minutes from Dubai International Airport.

MSC's decision comes after other major cruise lines made similar moves earlier this season. 

Both AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises—brands owned by Carnival Corporation—withdrew from the Middle East for the 2025-26 winter season in July of last year.

Update from Global Affairs Canada

Global Affairs Canada has issued a notice to travellers, saying “the security situation in the Middle East could deteriorate significantly without notice.”

“There is ongoing military activity in the region,” the department wrote. “Be prepared to shelter in place if instructed by local authorities and monitor media to stay informed.”

Canadian citizens and permanent residents in the Middle east needing emergency assistance can are being advised to contact me-mo.sos@international.gc.ca.

The Canadian government is currently advising citizens to void all travel to Israel, Lebanon, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Iraq, and to avoid all non-essential travel to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

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