Dubai airport shutdown affects thousands of UK passengers as drone strikes fuel tank

The latest shutdown of Dubai’s airport has disrupted the travel plans of thousands of UK passengers.

Dubai International Airport announced on Monday, at 1.36am GMT, it had suspended flights after a drone hit a nearby fuel tank.

Many Emirates flights already in the air were diverted, while others waiting to take off were cancelled.

Five flights from UK airports had to return to their points of origin, including a journey from Edinburgh which had made it as far Egyptian airspace before turning back.

An Emirates spokesperson said: "We can confirm the flight [EK24] returned to Edinburgh due to operational disruption."

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Other passengers on board a flight from London Stansted almost made it to Dubai, but were instead diverted to Vienna, Austria.

The closure of the major United Arab Emirates hub also impacts thousands hoping to finally return to the UK after being stranded in the Middle East, or other airports where UK flights connect in the region, since the US and Israel launched its war on Iran.

On Monday, all seven Emirates flights from Dubai to London Heathrow were cancelled.

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Later in the morning, Dubai International Airport said flights were "gradually resuming to selected destinations".

Flights to and from the airport were heavily impacted for several days following the start of the US-Israeli operations against Iran on 28 February.

Around half a million passengers per day use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which serve as key hubs for travel between Europe and continents of Asia and Australia.

Qatar flights to resume

However, Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs said on Monday that Qatar Airlines flights would resume on Friday.

Helen McEntee said on X: "Pleased to announce that we have been informed by Qatar Airlines that it will resume flights from Doha to Dublin on Friday, 20 March 2026.

"There will be four direct flights weekly from that date."

(c) Sky News 2026: Dubai airport shutdown affects thousands of UK passengers as drone strikes fuel tank