Emirates, the largest airline in the Gulf, has announced plans to resume all flights from its hub at Dubai International Airport, despite the airport being targeted in an Iranian attack. The carrier stated it expects to return to 100% of its network within days, subject to airspace availability and operational requirements.
Following fresh drone strikes in Dubai, flights were briefly suspended on Saturday, and passengers were evacuated to tunnels at the airport, which is normally the world's busiest global hub. Emirates confirmed it is operating a reduced schedule while working to restore full operations, prioritising customers with earlier bookings.
The airline is prioritising links to the UK and India, selling tickets for flights between Dubai and eight British airports, including London Heathrow, which will receive multiple daily arrivals from Monday 9 March. Test bookings by The Independent showed the first available departures from various UK airports.
In contrast, Virgin Atlantic has suspended its Dubai flights after a Saturday arrival from London Heathrow turned back due to the attack. The airline plans one more outbound and inbound flight before halting operations on the route for the season. Qatar Airways is operating six passenger flights to Doha on Monday, but only for passengers whose final destination is Doha, stressing these do not constitute a resumption of scheduled commercial operations.
