Algeria Bans UAE Aircraft From Its Airspace As Diplomatic Rift Deepens

Relations between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates have descended into a diplomatic crisis after Algiers imposed a total airspace ban on all UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft, effective from midnight on Sept. 11.

The move came a day after the Algerian Foreign Ministry severed formal diplomatic ties with Abu Dhabi, accusing it of interfering in national and regional affairs.

Algerian authorities said the decision was taken after all diplomatic channels to preserve the relationship had been exhausted. The Foreign Ministry cited persistent “provocative and hostile actions” by the UAE despite repeated formal warnings.

The Defense Ministry confirmed the closure applies to all UAE-registered military and civilian aircraft flying to, from or through Algerian airspace.

Officials set out one exception—commercial flights operating directly to and from Algiers Houari Boumediene International Airport may continue until their current contracts expire at the end of 2026.

The announcement follows years of mounting friction between the two countries, with Algerian media accusing the UAE of pursuing policies designed to “sow political discord across North Africa and the broader region.”

In the UAE, the Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the decision, saying it had hoped the severing of ties would prove temporary.

Emirates, as recently as 2022, was operating five-times-weekly flights between Dubai and Algiers. On Feb. 13, 2026, Emirates, in a statement, said its flights to and from Algeria were operating as scheduled, with services remaining unaffected. Though the same statement said that Emirates’ last scheduled flight, EK757, would depart from Algiers on Feb. 3, 2027. Flight tracker site FlightAware, however, indicates that Emirates last flew that route on March 17.