Flights Stop, and then Resume, at Dubai International Airport Following Drone Attack

Flights at Dubai International Airport (DXB) are slowly resuming on Monday, hours after a drone attack caused a fuel tank fire that forced officials to close the airport.

Dubai Airports said on Monday that flights were gradually resuming after “the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure.” It is still alerting all passengers to check with their airline before heading to the airport. According to FlightAware, about 10% of flights from Dubai on Monday have been cancelled, along with about 15% of arrivals.

Local authorities confirmed that Dubai Civil Defence teams contained the blaze within two hours. However, the ripple effect on the airport’s flight schedule remains significant. Emirates, the hub’s largest carrier, suspended all check-ins for several hours on Monday morning and only began resuming a limited schedule after 10:00 a.m. local time. Additionally, some incoming flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), about 25 miles southwest of Dubai International, during the closure.

According to Reuters, the attack was the third on the airport since the conflict with Iran began on Feb. 28.

While none of the three attacks have caused any injuries or fatalities, air traffic out of Dubai has been essentially cut in half since the conflict began.

Every major North American airline that flies through Dubai has waivers out, allowing passengers to rebook without fees, or cancel and receive a full refund. Many of those waivers, including the one from American Airlines, run well into May.