NewsBeat
Dubai airport flights suspended again after drone attack and fire
Dubai authorities tackled a fire near the city’s international airport on Monday, following a drone attack that prompted a temporary suspension of flights.
The latest crisis unfolded as the US-Israel war with Iran continues to cause significant disruption to global aviation. Flights across the Middle East have faced widespread cancellations, rescheduling, and rerouting, with much of the region’s airspace closed due to fears of missile and drone strikes. The ongoing conflict has also contributed to soaring fuel prices.
Monday’s attack is the third at Dubai airport, one of the world’s busiest international travel hubs, since Iran commenced its assaults on Gulf nations on 28 February. Tehran has stated these strikes are aimed at the US presence in the region. But Iran has repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure, such as airports, hotels, and ports, with missiles and drones, despite the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries, alongside Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey, hosting US military facilities.
No injuries were reported in the incident and flights were resuming just after 6am.
“A drone incident in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport affected one of the fuel tanks,” the Dubai Media Office said on X (formerly Twitter).
Traffic was temporarily halted on road and tunnel links with the airport, police said, while the Emirates airline suspended flights.
Some flights were diverted to the nearby Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai Media Office said.
Gulf Arab states have faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since 28 February, with targets including US diplomatic missions and military bases, but also key Gulf oil infrastructure as well as homes and offices.
The UAE, which normalised relations with Iran’s arch-foe Israel in 2020, has faced the brunt of the attacks, but all Gulf Arab states have been affected, and all have condemned Iran.
On 11 March, two drones fell near Dubai International Airport, which suffered damage on the first day of the conflict during an overnight Iranian attack across the Gulf states.