Air Arabia: What’s happening with Moscow‑Sharjah flights in October?

General situation

At the start of September Air Arabia announced daily flights from Moscow to Sharjah, slated to begin on 8 October. The plan called for the frequency to double from 12 December onward. By the end of September, however, every October option had disappeared from the reservation system, and travellers who had already bought tickets were met with a range of explanations from customer support.

History of the suspension

The carrier halted flights to Russia in July, citing an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. The transport ministry then confirmed that a restart was expected in October, but only on a “pre‑liminary” basis. Since 28 February regular services to Russia have not been operating at all, and all other routes between the UAE and Russia remain suspended until 27 March 2027.

Promised schedule

According to the announcement, a single daily flight (flight G9 798) was to start on 8 October, with two daily flights from 12 December. Tickets for November, December and January kept being sold, even though the system showed no October flights at all. Air Arabia never issued an official statement confirming readiness for the October launch.

October problems

On 26 September passengers who checked their bookings saw an empty list for October. Some received cancellation notices “for operational reasons”, others got messages that everything was still on schedule. Call‑centre agents, the chat‑bot and the booking‑management system all gave contradictory answers. One traveller with a ticket for 17 October asked the operator twice whether the flight would run and was met with a rebuke for “lack of trust”.

Passengers’ reactions

• One traveller reported that he was first told the 14 October flight was cancelled and a refund was processed, only to receive the same tickets a few days later.
• Another passenger was assured the departure would happen as planned, even though he could not find the flight in the system.
• A third group was offered a change of departure time, a voucher, or a cash refund. These anecdotes show that the flight‑availability information shifted within hours, and staff often blamed a “search error” or a “schedule adjustment”.

What Air Arabia offers

The airline says that if a flight is cancelled, a passenger may re‑book free of charge within seven days of the original date, or receive a refund – either as a voucher or by the original payment method. The exact re‑booking conditions are not spelled out, and obtaining a refund usually means contacting support.

How to avoid the trap

• Check the flight status a few days before departure, not just at the time of purchase.
• Keep every confirmation and any correspondence with the airline – you may need them for a refund.
• If the system shows no flight but the ticket is paid for, reach out through multiple channels (chat, phone, email) and record the replies.
• Consider moving the ticket to a later date if your schedule allows, to prevent a loss of money.
• Follow Air Arabia’s official channels and the transport ministry for any schedule updates.

Bottom line

The October Air Arabia situation illustrates how quickly airline timetables can change under geopolitical pressure. Passengers should expect tickets to disappear from the system and answers from the carrier to vary. The key is to stay on top of the flight’s status and know which re‑booking or refund routes are open, so last‑minute surprises are avoided.

Based on materials from: trn-news.ru.