ALGERIA has ordered the closure of its airspace to all civilian and military aircraft registered in the UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE), effective from midnight on 11 September 2026, following Algiers’ decision to sever diplomatic relations with Abu Dhabi. Announced by ALGERIA’s Ministry of Defence on 10 September, the measure represents a significant escalation in bilateral tensions, although an exemption allows commercial UAE flights operating to and from Houari Boumediene International Airport in Algiers to continue until the end of 2026, when the existing aviation agreement is due to expire. The specific contract cited by Algerian authorities has not been publicly identified. The decision follows ALGERIA’s termination of the 2013 Air Services Agreement with the UAE, with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority reportedly notified in February 2026; Emirates had previously indicated that its final scheduled Algiers service would operate on 3 February 2027, although flight data shows its last Dubai–Algiers service took place in March 2026. ALGERIA’s Foreign Ministry said diplomatic ties were severed after exhausting efforts to preserve bilateral relations, citing what it described as…
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