An incident involving a drone striking a fuel tank near Dubai’s airport led to the cancellation of several flights by a major airline. Emirates announced that it would operate a limited schedule starting after 10am local time on Monday, March 16, with some flights from the day’s schedule being canceled.
Following the drone’s impact on a fuel tank, Dubai International Airport temporarily closed, suspending all flight operations. This disruption came amidst ongoing conflict in the Middle East, sparked by joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, leading to retaliatory actions and causing disruptions in oil flow and air travel in the region.
Emirates issued a statement acknowledging the flight cancellations and assured affected customers of receiving reaccommodation options. Passengers were advised to confirm the status of their flights before heading to the airport and were given the flexibility to amend and rebook their flights online within 72 hours of the original departure date.
As the situation was being evaluated, Emirates committed to providing regular updates. The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that flights to select destinations were operating, with Emirates Airline gradually resuming limited operations after a temporary hiatus and some cancellations due to the drone incident.
The drone striking the fuel tank early Monday morning caused a fire, prompting the temporary suspension of flights at the airport.
