All flight operations at Dubai’s two airports – Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International (DWC) – remain suspended “until further notice” as retaliatory strikes from Iran entered a second day on Sunday, causing major disruptions at some of the world’s busiest airports.
Israel said it launched another wave of attacks on Iran on Sunday, while loud explosions were heard near Dubai and over Doha for a second day after Iran launched retaliatory airstrikes on neighboring Gulf states.
Dubai airport authorities confirmed that the concourse at Dubai International Airport suffered minor damage in the incident “which was quickly brought under control”.
They said four employees were injured and received immediate medical attention.
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“Emergency response teams were immediately deployed and are managing the situation in coordination with the relevant authorities,” the DXB media office said in its latest update on X.
“Due to contingency plans already in place, most terminals have already been cleared of passengers,” he added, adding that further updates would be provided as they became available.
When will Dubai airspace open?
Dubai airspace is not expected to reopen for some time as DXB said it has been “suspended until further notice”.
“Flight operations at @DXB and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) have been suspended until further notice,” DXB said in a post on X.
Airport authorities advised guests to travel to the airport and check with their airlines for flight updates.
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The United Arab Emirates Civil Aviation Authority said it tended to more than 20,000 affected passengers to catch up with the disruption. Tens of thousands of people are stranded in the region, which acts as a global superconnector connecting two points on the planet with a single stop.
Gulf airlines extend flight cancellations
Flights on Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, have been suspended indefinitely.
Etihad Airways extended the cancellation until 2am on Monday and advised passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Qatar Airways said all flights were still grounded and would provide an update at 9am on Monday.
Read also | Dubai airport suffered damage as Iran struck multiple locations across the UAE
A widespread suspension of all air services will severely disrupt global aircraft movements. According to a Bloomberg report, with many aircraft and crews already out of position due to the airspace closure, it will likely take days to clear the backlog even if operations resume.
Airlines in Europe, Asia and the Middle East have canceled or diverted flights to avoid closed or restricted airspace, lengthening journeys and increasing fuel costs.
As the Russo-Ukrainian war has forced airlines to avoid both countries’ airspace, Iranian and Iraqi overflight routes have gained in importance.
Now with the closure of airspace in the Middle East, airlines have been squeezed into narrower corridors and the fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has added another risk, Ian Petchenik, director of communications at Flightradar24, told Reuters.
“The risk of prolonged disruption is a major concern from a commercial aviation perspective,” Petchenik said. Any escalation of the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan resulting in the closure of airspace would have drastic consequences for travel between Europe and Asia.
