Are flights to Malé via Abu Dhabi or Dubai operating normally, and is a 1.5-hour Etihad connection enough?

An alternative to UAE transit for travelers based in St Petersburg, per late-September 2026 experience: a St Petersburg–Malé option via Baku was dropped because of a 20-hour connection. On the way out they took a nonstop Aeroflot flight out of Moscow (cheaper in that direction than the return), and came back Malé–St Petersburg via Baku with a 4-hour connection. The trip for the second half of October cost about $1,600 for two.

Pobeda is scheduled to resume nonstop Moscow (Vnukovo)–Abu Dhabi flights on 25 October 2026, providing another possible option for reaching Malé via Abu Dhabi.

In September 2026 a traveler complained that Air Arabia had cancelled his January flight even though tickets for the route were still being sold as if nothing had happened.

On 12 July 2026, after reading news about air defense activity in Dubai, travelers asked whether that day's flight to Malé had departed and whether any flights were being cancelled. The question came up among those whose route went through the UAE.

According to a report on a 10 July 2026 departure, the Etihad trip with a connection in Abu Dhabi ran without delays. The main hassle came after landing: the family had to wait for the speedboat from 6:00 to 10:30, which was hard with children. Otherwise the traveler was happy with the trip.

On 7 July 2026 passengers flew Malé–Moscow with Etihad via Abu Dhabi with a connection of just 1 hour 30 minutes — and everyone made the onward flight. This is a reference point for travelers considering a short connection in Abu Dhabi.