Dubai, Abu Dhabi resume limited flight ops after days of airspace shutdown amid Iran war

Authorities and airlines said select services would resume from Monday evening, offering relief to thousands of stranded passengers after widespread airspace closures across the Gulf.

The Dubai Media Office confirmed that Flydubai would operate a limited schedule.

“Flydubai will operate a limited number of flights on the evening of 02 March 2026. Customers are advised to update their contact details via Manage Your Booking and check flight status before travelling to the airport,” the office said in a post on X.

Flag carrier Emirates also announced the resumption of a small number of services, prioritising passengers with existing bookings.

“We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority. Those rebooked on these limited flights will be contacted directly. Please do not go to the airport unless notified,” the airline said, adding that most operations remain suspended until further notice.

In Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways operated 15 passenger flights within a three-hour window on Monday, likely clearing transit passengers stranded since the start of the conflict.

However, the airline said all flights to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended until 14:00 UAE time on Tuesday, March 3.

Meanwhile, Air India Express announced it would resume flights to and from Muscat from March 3, operating services to Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Tiruchirappalli.

The carrier said operations to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remain suspended until 23:59 IST on March 3.

The phased reopening follows Iranian strikes during the conflict that twice hit Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs. Four people were injured in the attacks, launched as retaliation after US-Israeli military operations targeting Iranian cities.

The UAE had partially closed its airspace on Saturday as a precaution, triggering mass cancellations and leaving lakhs of travellers stranded. Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Manama were all affected, with one death reported in Abu Dhabi linked to an airport-related incident.

Dubai International Airport, ranked the world’s second-busiest airport after Atlanta by the Airports Council International, serves as a key global transit hub connecting Europe, Asia and Africa.