The United Arab Emirates temporarily closed its airspace on Tuesday due to missile and drone threats from Iran, causing further travel disruption in the Gulf region. The closure followed a similar incident on Monday when a drone sparked a fire near Dubai airport.
The ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, now in its third week, has severely impacted global aviation. Many Middle Eastern airspaces remain closed, leading to widespread flight cancellations, rescheduling, and rerouting. Gulf-based airlines are operating only a fraction of their usual flights, though Emirates has experienced fewer cancellations.
The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that flights returned to normal later on Tuesday after the temporary closure, according to state news agency WAM. The disruption has affected major carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and flydubai.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr predicted that the conflict would diminish the dominance of Gulf carriers on Asian routes. Meanwhile, British Airways extended cancellations for flights to Dubai, Bahrain, and Tel Aviv until June, and is adding services to Singapore, Bangkok, and Caribbean destinations to meet shifting customer demand.
The war has disrupted travel through the busy Gulf hub between Europe and Asia, driving up fuel charges and ticket prices, impacting the flow of essential goods like medicines, and disrupting holiday plans.
