Fresh strikes on the United Arab Emirates have caused major disruptions for travellers, with 17 airlines suspending flights to Dubai Airport, one of the world's biggest transit hubs. The UAE reported incoming missiles from Iran early on Wednesday, a day after strikes on a key oil refinery.
Flight Disruptions and Safety Measures
The attacks have led to major delays and cancellations, impacting thousands of flights. The UAE Ministry of Defence stated that its air defence systems are “intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones”. The strikes caused mid-air re-routing, with Indian actress Ameesha Patel revealing a snap airspace closure while she was flying from Mumbai to New York on Tuesday.
“As we were about to land in Dubai the airspace closed in UAE due to fresh missile attacks. We have now been diverted to Muscat and are awaiting further updates!! When will this war end?” she posted on X, before confirming hours later that she was back in Dubai Airport.
Airspace May Open or Close at Short Notice
This comes just days after Emirates announced it had almost fully restored its operations, with “75 per cent of pre-disruption capacity”. “Following a comprehensive evaluation of operational and security conditions, we have officially lifted the temporary precautionary measures previously in place,” the General Civil Aviation Authority posted on X on Saturday.
Residents received emergency alerts on their phones, according to Australian cricket commentator Lachlan Kitchen, who is currently in Dubai. “It’s not dissimilar to what you might experience with the bushfires, certainly in Australia when you get those alerts,” Kitchen told Sunrise. “I think there was that sense of anxiety of, ‘Is this the new normal?’ It’s like hearing the news of we’re going back into a COVID lockdown.”
Australian Embassy Warning
The Australian Embassy on Tuesday said it “is aware of missile alerts in parts of the UAE”. “We are monitoring the situation closely. We encourage all Australians in the UAE to follow the instructions of local authorities and to obtain information from official sources only.” The SmartTraveller alert level issued for the UAE is “Do Not Travel”. “UAE airspace may open or close at short notice, impacting flights at Abu Dhabi and Dubai international airports,” a Wednesday update said.
Kitchen said the attacks over the past couple of days have occurred several hours outside of Dubai, and the city has maintained its reputation as a safe destination. “For Australians, seeing what’s happening, it’s not dissimilar to someone in Europe saying that there’s bushfires in Queensland and you’re worried about friends in Sydney,” he said. “These current attacks that we’ve seen have been a fair way from Dubai, but that doesn’t sort of help the tension from families and kids here and a lot of expat Aussie families that are going through the process.”
