UAE resumes limited flights amid travel chaos across Middle East
#UAE flights #Middle East travel chaos #Iran war #flight cancellations #Dubai airport #aviation disruption #US-Israel Iran conflict #airline operations
📌 Key Takeaways
- UAE resumes limited flights amid Middle East travel chaos
- Dubai airport authority authorizes 'small number' of flights
- Multiple airlines operating with restrictions and priority given to existing bookings
- Over 11,000 flights cancelled in region since conflict began
📖 Full Retelling
United Arab Emirates authorities resumed limited flights from Dubai International and Dubai World Central airports on March 3, 2026, as the region grapples with severe travel disruptions caused by the ongoing war between the United States and Israel against Iran. Dubai's airport authority confirmed that only a "small number" of flights had been authorized, with passengers advised not to make travel plans unless contacted directly by their airline with confirmed departure times. Dubai-based Emirates announced the resumption of limited flights on Monday evening, prioritizing customers with earlier bookings, while Etihad Airways based in Abu Dhabi maintained that commercial flights would remain suspended until Wednesday, though some repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights could operate with necessary approvals. Flight tracking data revealed that at least 16 Etihad Airways flights departed from Abu Dhabi on Monday to destinations including London, Amsterdam, Moscow and Riyadh, while two Emirates flights from Dubai landed in India's Mumbai and Chennai early Tuesday. However, later disruptions continued, with two Etihad flights bound for Abu Dhabi diverted to Muscat, Oman, and an Emirates flight returning to Mumbai from Dubai amid the ongoing conflict. The travel chaos has affected the entire Middle East, with countries including Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain closing their airspace due to US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory strikes. Aviation data firm Cirium reported over 11,000 flight cancellations in the region since the conflict began on Saturday, prompting governments like Germany to plan evacuations. Aviation analyst Tony Stanton warned that if the conflict persists beyond a few weeks, the airline sector could face lasting impacts, with potential route map adjustments and shifts to alternative hubs perceived as lower-risk.
🏷️ Themes
Middle East travel disruption, Iran conflict impact, Aviation crisis
📚 Related People & Topics
Middle East
Transcontinental geopolitical region
The Middle East is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, the Levant, and Turkey. The term came into widespread usage by Western European nations in the early 20th century as a replacement of the term Near East (both were in contrast to the Far East). The term ...
List of wars involving Iran
This is a list of wars involving the Islamic Republic of Iran and its predecessor states. It is an unfinished historical overview.
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Original Source
Economy | Travel UAE resumes limited flights amid travel chaos across Middle East Dubai’s airport authority says it authorised a limited number of flights as hundreds of thousands remain stranded. Listen to this article | 3 mins By John Power Published On 3 Mar 2026 3 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media Share Save Add Al Jazeera on Google The United Arab Emirates has resumed a limited number of flights amid ongoing travel chaos across the region, prompted by the joint war by the United States and Israel on Iran. Dubai’s airport authority said on Monday that it had authorised a “small number” of flights to operate from Dubai International airport, the world’s busiest gateway for international passengers, and Dubai World Central airport. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 UN chief calls for ‘way out’ of Iran war list 2 of 4 Melania Trump chairs UN meeting on children days after Iran school strike list 3 of 4 Golestan Palace majorly damaged in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran list 4 of 4 How much could the Iran war cost the US? Here’s what we know end of list The authority said that passengers should not make travel plans unless they had been contacted directly by their airline with a confirmed departure time. Dubai-based Emirates announced the resumption of a “limited” number of flights on Monday evening, and said that customers with earlier bookings would take priority. Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, said that commercial flights would remain suspended until Wednesday, but that some “repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights” could take place subject to operational and safety approvals. At least 16 Etihad Airways flights departed from Abu Dhabi on Monday to destinations including London, Amsterdam, Moscow and Riyadh, according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24. At least two Emirates flights that departed from Dubai landed in India’s Mumbai and Chennai early on Tuesday morning, according to Flightradar24. Later on Tuesday morning, ...
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