Iran’s drone attack on Dubai Airport: More than 1,800 flights cancelled; Advisory issued for all travelers including India
Dubai. Flights at Dubai International Airport were temporarily suspended following a drone attack on Monday. Authorities halted operations as a precautionary safety measure following a fire incident near the airport. Announcing the suspension, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority said the step was taken to ensure the safety of passengers and airport staff.
“Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest information regarding their flights, further information will be provided through official channels after reviewing the situation,” the authority said in a statement. According to officials, the drone strike caused a fire near the airport border which was immediately extinguished by emergency services.
The Dubai Media Office said air defense systems responded to the fire incident before temporarily halting flight operations. The disruption comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia following attacks involving the US, Israel and Iran in late February, which resulted in drone and missile strikes and intermittent restrictions on airspace in several Gulf countries.
Regional aviation has already suffered significant disruption, with the suspension of flights last fall affecting Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport resulting in the cancellation of more than 1,800 flights across the region.
All passengers, including many from India, transiting through Dubai have been advised to check for updated flight schedules from airline websites or mobile applications as bookings may still remain active despite the ongoing disruptions.
Air India, Air India Express canceled flights to Dubai
An incident of drone attack at Dubai International Airport on Monday led to the temporary suspension of flight operations from the airport. Due to this disruption, Air India and Air India Express had to cancel all their flights to and from Dubai for today. Airlines have said affected passengers will be given the option to either rebook their travel for a later date or cancel their tickets and receive a full refund at no additional cost.
Airlines have expressed regret for the inconvenience and attributed the cancellation of flights to unavoidable operational disruptions. Air India Express said its scheduled flights to and from other UAE airports, including Abu Dhabi International Airport, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and Sharjah International Airport, will continue as scheduled. The companies further said that their teams are working towards assisting the affected passengers and ensuring that the stranded passengers are brought back home safely as soon as possible.
Earlier, the two airlines had announced that they would jointly operate 48 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the Middle East region on March 16. Both the companies will continue their scheduled flights to King Abdulaziz International Airport and Muscat International Airport, taking a total of 10 flights between India and Jeddah.
Air India was to operate one return service each from Delhi and Mumbai to Jeddah while Air India Express was to operate one flight each from Bengaluru, Kozhikode and Mangaluru. Additionally, Air India Express had planned 12 scheduled flights to and from Muscat, including services from Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram and two flights from Kochi.
In addition to the scheduled services, Air India and Air India Express also planned to operate 26 additional non-scheduled flights to and from UAE and Saudi Arabia subject to slot availability and prevailing operating conditions. The company said that these flights are being operated with necessary permissions from the relevant Indian and local regulatory authorities.
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