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Open and Operating With Limited Flights

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An Emirates Airline Airbus A380-800 plane takes off from Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates February 15, 2019.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest international hub, remains open and operational on Friday, March 20, 2026, but continues to function under severe limitations due to a series of regional airspace restrictions, security incidents and geopolitical tensions that began in late February. Real-time flight tracking shows dozens of departures and arrivals scheduled throughout the day, primarily operated by Emirates and flydubai, as foreign carriers face indefinite bans or extended suspensions.

An Emirates Airline Airbus A380-800 plane takes off from Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates February 15, 2019.
Dubai International Airport

The official Dubai Airports website and flight status pages confirm active operations at DXB. As of early March 20 (local time), departures include Emirates flights to London Heathrow (EK 031 at 11:15 a.m.), Riyadh (EK 815 at 11:20 a.m.) and multiple flydubai services to Kabul (FZ 307 at 11:35 a.m.), Multan (FZ 339 at 11:40 a.m.) and Faisalabad (FZ 355 at 11:40 a.m.). Statuses range from “Gate Closed” and “Boarding” to ongoing processing, with no widespread cancellations listed for the day. Arrivals tracking similarly shows incoming flights from various origins, though volumes remain far below pre-crisis norms.

Dubai Airports’ passenger advisory, last updated in recent days, states: “Dubai Airports confirms the gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International (DXB) to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights.” The site emphasizes that schedules continue to adjust as airlines reposition aircraft and rebalance networks.

The current restricted status stems from a chain of events starting late February 2026, when escalating conflict involving Iran, Israel and regional actors triggered multiple airspace closures across West Asia. A significant drone-related incident on March 16 near DXB’s fuel facilities caused a fire, prompting a full temporary suspension of operations as a safety precaution. Dubai Media Office and authorities described it as precautionary, with no major structural damage reported to terminals.

Following the March 16 event, operations partially resumed later that day and into March 17, when the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced air traffic had returned to normal across national airspace. However, recovery has been uneven. Foreign airlines, including major carriers from Europe, Asia and North America, received notices banning landings at DXB and Al Maktoum International (DWC) “until further notice.” Only UAE-based operators Emirates and flydubai hold permissions for regular service.

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Airline advisories reflect this reality. Emirates has gradually expanded its schedule, aiming for fuller operations in coming weeks, while flydubai maintains a limited but growing network. International carriers like Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines extended suspensions through late March or beyond. India’s IndiGo canceled dozens of flights in mid-March due to restrictions, and Air India operated backlog-clearing services on select days. Over 11,000 global flights have faced disruption since late February, with rerouting adding hours to journeys and stranding passengers.

DXB’s CEO Paul Griffiths noted in mid-March interviews that the airport had facilitated over a million passenger journeys in the prior weeks despite challenges, operating at 40-45% of normal traffic. Real-time monitoring and rapid threat response have enabled partial recovery, but full restoration depends on stabilized regional airspace.

Travelers face ongoing advice: Do not proceed to the airport without confirmed bookings, as walk-ins are turned away and schedules change dynamically. Check airline apps, websites or the official DXB flight status page for real-time updates. Passengers with affected flights may qualify for rebooking, refunds or waivers under airline policies and international regulations.

The situation highlights DXB’s vulnerability as a global transit node. Normally handling over 1,200 daily movements and serving 90+ million passengers annually, the hub has seen volumes plummet during peaks of disruption. Al Maktoum International (DWC) has absorbed some overflow but shows minimal or no flights on certain days.

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Authorities continue monitoring the region closely, with GCAA emphasizing safety as the priority. No new major incidents were reported overnight into March 20, and flight information pages show steady, albeit reduced, activity.

For those planning travel through Dubai today or in coming days, the message is clear: DXB is open but far from normal. Confirm flights directly with carriers, allow extra time for security and potential delays, and monitor official sources like dubaiairports.ae for alerts.

As the crisis enters its third week, aviation experts predict gradual normalization if tensions ease, but prolonged restrictions could reshape Middle East routing for months. Travelers are urged to stay informed and flexible amid this fluid environment.

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H.C. Wainwright reiterates Intellicheck stock rating on revenue beat

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Stephens raises FedEx stock price target to $435 on strong yields

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The Retirement System Is Breaking – 8 Risks Most Investors Still Ignore

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The Retirement System Is Breaking - 8 Risks Most Investors Still Ignore

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Leo Nelissen is a long-term investor and macro-focused strategist with a passion for dividend growth, high-quality compounders, and structural investment themes. He combines big-picture macro analysis with bottom-up stock research to identify durable businesses with strong cash-flow potential. Leo also writes for Main Street Alpha, where he publishes deeper-dive research and actionable investment ideas for long-term investors.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO) Presents at Sidoti March Small-Cap Virtual Conference – Slideshow

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO) Presents at Sidoti March Small-Cap Virtual Conference – Slideshow

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Eternal shares jump 3% from lows as Zomato hikes platform fee by Rs 2.4 per order

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Eternal shares jump 3% from lows as Zomato hikes platform fee by Rs 2.4 per order
Eternal shares on Friday rose 3% from the day’s low of Rs 230.10 on the NSE to scale the day’s high of Rs 236.70 after its food delivery platform Zomato increased the platform fee by Rs 2.40 per order. The stock witnessed strong investor response with over 5.5 crore shares getting traded on the exchange. The traded value of the shares stood at Rs 1,293 crore.

The stock finally ended at Rs 232.41, up by Rs 3.67 or 1.60% over the last closing price of Rs 228.74.

On a pre-GST basis, platform fee on Zomato is now Rs 14.90 per order from Rs 12.50 earlier, according to a news report by ET Tech. The last such hike was undertaken in September 2025, the report said. Zomato’s food delivery rival Swiggy is currently charging a fee of Rs 14.99 per order, including taxes. Typically, the two players follow each other in changing these levies.

The move comes at a time when urban mobility startup Rapido has launched its food delivery offering Ownly in Bengaluru, claiming that it will not charge any additional fees to customers or restaurants apart from a delivery charge.

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Eternal shares have seen significant correction, declining 30% in the past six months. It has underperformed Nifty and the BSE Sensex, which have declined 9% and 10%, respectively in the same period.


The stock is currently trading below its 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages (SMAs) of Rs 265 and Rs 291, respectively, according to Trendlyne data.
Also read | Nifty Bank logs 3rd-worst March fall since the global financial crisis. HDFC Bank, SBI among top culpritsEternal, which also operates quick commerce arm Blinkit, reported a 73% year-on-year (YoY) rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 102 crore. Revenue from operations surged 201% YoY to Rs 16,315 crore.

Revenue growth was mainly driven by an accounting shift to inventory ownership in quick commerce, where revenue now includes the full value of goods sold rather than just marketplace commission. According to Eternal, the like-for-like revenue growth during the quarter was 64% YoY.

Consolidated EBITDA increased 28% YoY to Rs 364 crore, while rising 63% QoQ.

For the food delivery business, adjusted revenue rose 26% YoY to Rs 2,413 crore. Net order value (NOV) increased 17% YoY, accelerating from 13.8% growth in the previous quarter. This marked the second consecutive quarter of NOV growth acceleration, following a trough of 13.1% in Q1FY26. Gross order value (GOV) growth for the third quarter stood at 21% YoY.

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Also read | 83% of BSE 500 stocks plunge up to 35% amid Mideast war. Do you own any?

(Disclaimer: The recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times.)

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Mark My Words March 20 2026

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Mark My Words March 20 2026

Sam Jones and Tom Zaunmayr discuss fuel furor, mining moves, property purchases and other big stories of the week.

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QatarEnergy declares force majeure after Iran strikes on Ras Laffan facility

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QatarEnergy declares force majeure after Iran strikes on Ras Laffan facility

Iranian strikes have cut about 17% of Doha’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, QatarEnergy’s CEO told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

Saad al-Kaabi said the disruption could result in an estimated $20 billion in lost annual revenue and threaten supplies to Europe and Asia.

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The CEO of the state-owned energy company, who is also Qatar’s minister of state for energy affairs, told Reuters that damage to two LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids facilities will sideline roughly 12.8 million tons per year of output for three to five years.

“I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that Qatar would be — Qatar and the region — in such an attack, especially from a brotherly Muslim country in the month of Ramadan, attacking us in this way,” said al-Kaabi.

IRAN HOLDS WORLD ENERGY HOSTAGE WITH ‘NIGHTMARE’ STRAIT OF HORMUZ SEA MINES, FORMER CENTCOM OFFICIAL WARNS

Qatar’s energy minister addresses an international conference on liquefied natural gas in Doha.

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s minister of state for energy affairs and CEO of QatarEnergy, speaks during the LNG2026 conference at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha on Feb. 2, 2026. (Noushad Variyattiyakkal/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The attacks came after Iran targeted Gulf energy infrastructure in retaliation for an Israeli strike on its South Pars gas field on Wednesday.

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QatarEnergy said in several posts on X that missile and rocket attacks on its facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City caused fires and extensive damage but no casualties.

Qatar is one of the world’s largest LNG exporters, accounting for nearly 20% of global supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

IRAN WARNS EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WILL BE ‘LEGITIMATE TARGETS’ IF THEY JOIN CONFLICT

Industrial gas processing facilities and storage infrastructure at a major Qatari energy complex.

Qatar Energy facilities in Mesaieed Industrial City, south of Doha, on March 4, 2026, after the company announced a shutdown of LNG production following reported Iranian attacks on energy installations. (Stringer/Getty / Getty Images)

President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform that Israel would halt further strikes on Iran’s South Pars gas field unless Tehran escalates, warning that the United States could respond with overwhelming force if Qatar’s LNG facilities are targeted again.

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“The United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before,” Trump wrote. “I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long term implications that it will have on the future of Iran, but if Qatar’s LNG is again attacked, I will not hesitate to do so.”

Al-Kaabi told Reuters QatarEnergy declared force majeure on its entire LNG output following the attacks on Ras Laffan, allowing it to suspend deliveries due to the damage.

“For production to restart, first we need hostilities to cease,” he said.

Qatari energy executive attends a regional petroleum organization meeting in Kuwait City.

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, president and CEO of Qatar Petroleum and chairman of Qatar Gas, attends the 109th meeting of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries in Kuwait City on Dec. 12, 2022. (Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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He also explained that the state-owned company will have to declare force majeure on long-term contracts for up to five years covering supplies to Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China due to damage to the two LNG trains.

“If Israel attacked Iran, it’s between Iran and Israel. It has nothing to do with us and the region,” al-Kaabi told Reuters. “And so now, in addition to that, I’m saying that everybody in the world, whether it’s Israel, whether it’s the U.S., whether it’s any other country, everybody should stay away from oil and gas facilities.”

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Pharvaris publishes Phase 2 data on HAE drug deucrictibant

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Wall Street Breakfast Podcast: SMCI Hit By Export Scandal

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Wall Street Breakfast Podcast: SMCI Hit By Export Scandal

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Mohamad Faizal Bin Ramli/iStock via Getty Images

Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Nasdaq, S&P, Dow futures rise as Netanyahu eases concerns about the Iran conflict. (00:15) Super Micro (SMCI) falls as co-founder, employee charged in Nvidia chip smuggling case. (00:48)Unilever (UL) in talks to sell its food business to McCormick (MKC). (03:00)

This is an abridged transcript.

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Stock index futures are firmly in the green.

S&P 500 futures (SPX) rose 0.90%, Nasdaq 100 futures (US100:IND) gained 1.02%, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (INDU) advanced 0.97%.

Bitcoin is up 1% at $70,000. Gold is up 0.5% at $4,677.

Market sentiment improved after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the country is helping to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

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Oil prices slipped on the news that Netanyahu said Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles.

Crude oil is down 0.2% at $95. Brent crude is at $109.

European indexes also rebound after an ease in oil prices.

The FTSE 100 is up 0.2% and the DAX is up 0.6%.

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In Asia, the markets in Japan (NKY:IND) closed for a holiday.

Super Micro Computer (SMCI) is down 22% in premarket action.

Three individuals linked to the AI server maker, including a co-founder, were charged with violating export laws by assisting in the smuggling of at least $2.5 billion worth of U.S. AI technology to China.

The Justice Department did not name Super ‌Micro in the complaint, referring only to a “U.S. manufacturer.”

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The company said it was informed by federal prosecutors of the indictment on Thursday. It noted that it was not named as a defendant in the case and said it had cooperated with investigators.

In an indictment unsealed on Thursday, the U.S. government alleged that Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw, Ruei-Tsan “Steven” Chang and Ting-Wei “Willy” Sun worked together to violate the Export Control Reform Act. Liaw co-founded Super ​Micro in 1993, and joined its board of directors in 2023. Chang was a sales manager in the Taiwan office of Super Micro, while Sun was ⁠a contractor.

U.S. officials allege the trio went to great lengths to hide their actions from both U.S.-based server manufacturers and export control authorities, even using hair dryers to remove labels and serial numbers ​from the real machines and placing them on dummy machines left behind after the real machines had been shipped to China.

The efforts have yielded around $2.5 billion in sales for the server maker since 2024, with $510 million sold between late April 2025 and mid-May 2025 going to the Southeast Asian company and on to China, the indictment said. The plaintiff said the server maker had no U.S. Commerce Department license to export servers featuring Nvidia (NVDA) GPUs to China.

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Super Micro Computer (SMCI) said it placed its co-founder and the sales manager on leave and terminated its ties with the contractor, after being made aware of the charges on Thursday.

The attorney’s office said the co-founder and contractor were both arrested on Thursday, while the sales manager is a fugitive.

Unilever (UL) announced that it received an inbound offer for its food business and is in discussions with McCormick (MKC).

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that an all-stock deal may be announced within weeks if talks don’t fall apart. The exact structure remains unknown.

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Unilever’s (UL) food business, which houses brands such as Knorr and Hellmann’s, could be worth tens of billions of dollars. McCormick’s (MKC) products include Frank’s RedHot sauce and French’s yellow mustard.

Separating its food business would enable Unilever (UL) to focus on its beauty, personal care and home divisions. The company spun off its ice cream business Magnum last year.

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The biggest movers for the day premarket: FedEx (FDX) +11% – Stock gained in premarket trading after the company topped expectations with its fiscal third-quarter earnings report.

Here’s a link to the Investment News Quiz for the week.

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Form 6K Magnum Ice Cream Co N.V. For: 20 March

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Form 6K Magnum Ice Cream Co N.V. For: 20 March

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