Thousands of British travellers faced major disruptions after Dubai International Airport suspended flights early Monday following a reported drone strike near a fuel tank. The airport announced the suspension at 1:36 AM GMT, causing Emirates flights already airborne to be diverted and others cancelled.
Passengers on a flight from London Stansted were diverted to Vienna, Austria, just short of their destination. All seven Emirates flights from Dubai to London Heathrow on Monday were cancelled, and five flights from UK airports, including one from Edinburgh, turned back after reaching Egyptian airspace.
The airport resumed flights gradually to selected destinations from 6:11 AM, but the incident compounded existing travel chaos caused by the US-Israeli campaign against Iran. Social media posts suggested a drone struck a fuel tank, creating a plume of black smoke, though this remains unconfirmed.
Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi airports typically handle about half a million passengers daily as key hubs between Europe, Asia, and Australia. The conflict has disrupted Middle East airspace for two weeks, with airlines only recently attempting to resume services.
This is the third time Dubai's airport has been impacted by nearby strikes since the conflict began. The UAE hosts US military facilities, which Iran has threatened, but civilian infrastructure has also been hit. The economic fallout includes warnings that London families could be £1,500 worse off due to soaring prices.
