Flight operations at Dubai International Airport were temporarily suspended on Monday after a drone-related incident triggered a fire near the airport, prompting authorities to halt air traffic as a precautionary measure.
City officials said the suspension was ordered to ensure the safety of passengers, crew and airport staff.
In a post on X, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announced the temporary suspension of flights to and from the airport.
“Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announces the temporary suspension of flights at Dubai International Airport as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff. Travellers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights. Further updates will be announced through official channels as soon as they become available,” the Dubai Media Office said.
Following the disruption, Air India and Air India Express cancelled all their flights to and from Dubai for the day. The airlines said affected passengers would be offered the flexibility to either rebook their travel for a later date or cancel their tickets and receive a full refund at no additional cost.
The carriers expressed regret over the inconvenience caused, describing the cancellations as the result of unavoidable operational constraints.
Air India Express said its ad-hoc flight operations to and from other UAE airports, including Abu Dhabi International Airport, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and Sharjah International Airport, would continue as scheduled.
The airline added that its teams were working to assist affected travellers and ensure stranded passengers are brought home safely at the earliest opportunity.
Earlier, the carriers had announced that together they would operate 48 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on March 16.
Both airlines were to continue their scheduled operations to King Abdulaziz International Airport and Muscat International Airport, including a total of 10 flights between India and Jeddah.
Air India was scheduled 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.
In addition, Air India Express planned 12 scheduled flights to and from Muscat, including services from Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram, and two flights from Kochi.
Besides the scheduled services, Air India and Air India Express had also planned to operate 26 additional non-scheduled flights to and from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, subject to the availability of slots and prevailing operational conditions.
The airlines said these flights were being operated with the necessary permissions from the relevant Indian and local regulatory authorities.
