Algeria closed its airspace to civilian and military aircraft registered in the United Arab Emirates from midnight on Friday, September 11, 2026. The measure followed the rupture of diplomatic relations between Algiers and Abu Dhabi only hours earlier.
Algeria’s Ministry of National Defence said the closure applied to UAE-registered aircraft, civilian or military, travelling from or to the UAE. The announcement was carried by Algeria’s state news agency APS.
One important exception was announced: Emirati civilian commercial flights to and from Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport could continue until the end of 2026, the stated expiry of the existing agreement.
Directly linked to the diplomatic break
The closure followed Algeria’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with the UAE. Algeria’s foreign ministry accused Abu Dhabi of “provocative or hostile actions”, without publicly identifying a single triggering event. Reuters and the Associated Press confirmed the diplomatic rupture, while Reuters also reported the airspace decision.
Emirates temporarily maintained at Algiers
Emirates serves Algiers from Dubai with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The exemption therefore allowed that route to continue for the time being. Other UAE-registered aircraft movements were required to comply with the restriction.
Routes towards Morocco, Portugal and Spain affected
The closure is particularly relevant to Dubai–Casablanca with Emirates and Abu Dhabi–Casablanca with Etihad Airways, whose observed routings regularly crossed Algeria for around an hour. Abu Dhabi–Malaga, Abu Dhabi–Lisbon and Dubai–Lisbon can also use Algerian airspace depending on the day’s routing.
Dubai–Madrid and Barcelona–Abu Dhabi had also crossed Algerian airspace on some 2026 rotations, while recent Emirates Dubai–Barcelona routings generally passed farther north.
How much time can rerouting add?
Recent Casablanca services spent roughly 60–66 minutes over Algeria. Avoiding the country does not add that entire period to a flight, because aircraft can use alternative corridors. For Casablanca, a route north of Algeria and via the Iberian Peninsula could add roughly 35–55 minutes under normal conditions. For Lisbon and Malaga, an estimated 15–35 minutes is more plausible; for Madrid and Barcelona, where relevant, roughly 10–25 minutes.
These figures are estimates. Actual additional time depends on direction, winds, air-traffic-control slots, other restricted airspace and the route assigned on the day.
Dubai–Casablanca: a direct operational impact
Emirates flights EK751 and EK752 are among the clearest examples. The route normally crosses Algerian airspace, so UAE-registered aircraft operating between Dubai and Casablanca must avoid Algeria while the restriction applies. Emirates had not announced suspension of Casablanca services at the time of the source article.
No general closure of Algerian airspace was announced: the measure specifically targets UAE-registered aircraft under the conditions set by Algerian authorities.
Sources
Algérie Presse Service (APS); Reuters; Associated Press.
Related: Algeria: diplomatic crises increasingly spill into the skies, for the broader geopolitical context.
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