Dubai News Highlights: Dubai Airport suspends landing permissions for flights following drone strikes

Dubai News Highlights: Updates to this blog have ended

Dubai Media Office in a post on X said, “Civil Defense teams have confirmed that the fire in a fuel tank in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport has been extinguished. Cooling operations are now underway.”

Dubai News Live: Dubai Airport authorities have temporarily suspended landing permissions for aircraft operating into Dubai International Airport (DXB) until further notice due to the prevailing situation in the region.

Iran denied US President Donald Trump’s assertion that it wants ceasefire talks, launching fresh attacks across the Persian Gulf and forcing a suspension of flights at Dubai’s main airport, Bloomberg reported.

Kuwait’s military said on Monday that four drones were detected in the country’s airspace over the past 24 hours.

According to Khaleeja Times, one of the drones was successfully intercepted by defence systems, while another fell outside what authorities described as the “threat zone.”

Dubai News Live: Dubai Civil Defence has confirmed that a fuel tank fire near Dubai International Airport has been successfully extinguished. “Civil defense teams have confirmed the end of the fuel tank fire in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport, and cooling operations are currently underway,” read the official statement.

Dubai News Live: Qatar Airways is set to expand its services to India by operating flights to several additional cities starting March 18.

According to the Indian Embassy in Doha, around 1,100 Indian passengers travelled to New Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi on March 16. The airline is also scheduled to run flights to these three destinations on March 17.

Dubai News Live: “The UAE air defence systems on 16th March 2026 engaged 6 ballistic missiles and 21 UAVs launched from Iran. Since the onset of the blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 304 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,627 UAVs... A total of 145 people were also injured, with injuries ranging from minor to moderate and severe. The injured included nationals of the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia and Sweden,” UAE's Ministry of Defence said.

Dubai News Live: Forty-five flights from various countries in the Gulf region, includng the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the Qatar are expected to land at various airports in India on Monday, an Indian government official said adding that around 2,20,000 Indians have returned to the country since February 28, when the war first began, news agency ANI reported.

Qatar’s armed forces have successfully intercepted a second wave of missiles aimed at the country, according to an announcement by the Qatari Ministry of Defense.

Emirates has resumed its flight operations after temporarily suspending services earlier today due to disruptions caused by drone attacks.

Dubai News Live: Several explosions were heard across Doha on Monday, according to news agency AFP.

Dubai News Live: Seven people have been killed in the United Arab Emirates since the start of Iran’s attacks, Khaleeja Times reported.

Officials said the UAE’s air defences have dealt with 304 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,627 drones launched during the attacks.

The strikes led to the deaths of two members of the armed forces while carrying out their national duty, along with five civilians of Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, and Palestinian nationalities.

Dubai News Live: As a drone strike caused a fire near the International airport, the authorities halted flights, setting back the aviation hub’s efforts to restore operations as the Iran conflict enters its third week.

While the fire was successfully contained and no injuries were reported, the suspension has been kept in place for over five hours now. Some traffic movement has been eased but the airport road stays shut.

Dubai News Live: Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call with Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the latest regional developments, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

During the conversation, the two leaders reviewed the ongoing situation in the region and its potential impact on security and stability.

They emphasised that the continuation of Iranian attacks on countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) represents a serious escalation that could threaten regional peace and stability.

Both leaders also reaffirmed that GCC states will continue to make every effort to defend their territories and use all available capabilities to support regional security and maintain stability.

Dubai News Live: A rocket strike in Abu Dhabi has killed a man of Palestinian nationality after it hit a civilian vehicle in the Al Bahia area.

Akasa Air said it will continue operating flights between Jeddah and Indian cities including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi and Kozhikode, the airline said in a statement.

The carrier also announced that it will begin operating flights between Riyadh and Mumbai starting March 18.

Dubai News LIVE: Flights to and from Amman (AMM), Dubai (DXB), Bahrain (BAH), Doha (DOH), Dammam (DMM), Kuwait (KWI), Copenhagen (CPH), Baghdad (BGW), and Khasab (KHS) have been cancelled until 31 March 2026.

Dubai News LIVE: Dubai’s main airport resumed operations Monday after a drone triggered a fuel-tank fire, suspending flights for several hours and further disrupting the aviation hub’s efforts to maintain normality during the prolonged Iran war.

Dubai News LIVE: Dubai International Airport has issued an advisory urging passengers not to travel unless necessary.

The airport also advised passengers to continue contacting their respective airlines for the latest updates regarding flight status.

A building in Umm Al Quwain was ‘targeted’ by a drone, which caused a fire. Emergency teams handled the situation, and no injuries were reported, Gulf News reported.

Dubai news live: Traffic movement on several roads in Dubai began returning to normal on Monday following a drone-related incident near Dubai International Airport (DXB).

However, Airport Road continued to witness disruptions, according to a report by Gulf News.

Dubai stocks slid into bear-market territory as the crisis in the Middle East caused chaos in the energy, shipping, real estate, and tourism industries, Bloomberg reported.

Dubai Airport Attack News LIVE: Fire and plumes of smoke rise after a drone struck a fuel tank, forcing the temporary suspension of flights. near Dubai International Airport, in the United Arab Emirates, early Monday.

Dubai Airport Attack LIVE Update: Flydubai has begun gradually restoring its flight operations with a reduced schedule on Monday, March 16. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the development while speaking to Khaleej Times Correspondent.

Emirates: “All flights to and from Dubai have been temporarily suspended. Please do not go to the airport. Emirates will share updates when available. We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and will not be compromised.”

Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announced the gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International Airport 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 Dubai Media Office reported.

Emirates in a post on X stated, “Emirates expects to operate a limited schedule after 10:00hrs Dubai local time today. Unfortunately, some flights from today’s schedule have been cancelled. Affected customers will receive a cancellation notice and will be advised on reaccommodation options. Please check flight status on http://emirates.com to ensure your flight is operating before heading to the airport."

Chaos erupted at Dubai Airport moments after Iranian drone stuck the vicinity on Monday morning.

Flightradar24 data shows impact of drone attack on air traffic over Middle East.

Dubai-bound Emirates flight from Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) returned midway on Monday. It landed safely at 8:40 am after a 4:40 am departure due to the temporary closure of Dubai International Airport following a drone incident. A total of 353 passengers and 19 crew members were onboard the aircraft. Passengers were directed back to the terminal following the landing.

Flightradar24 data shows multiple Dubai-bound flights taking U-turn and returning to their origins after drone incident at Dubai airport (DXB) on Monday. The list of diverted Emirates flights included Thiruvananthapuram-Dubai and Hyderabad-Dubai flights.

Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announced “gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International Airport to selected destinations.” This comes after flights were temporarily suspended in the wake of drone attack.

SpiceJet in a post on X said, “Due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, flight operations to/from Dubai have been further restricted, which may result in changes to flight schedules. We are actively communicating the passengers about the changes via SMS/Email on the registered contact details.”

IndiGo announced disruption in flight services in the Middle East till 17 March. “Due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, flight operations in Dubai have been further restricted, leading to changes in flight schedules. As a result, some flights scheduled to operate between 15 - 17 March have been affected,” the airline said.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority said some flights to and from Dubai Airport are gradually resuming after a precautionary suspension, according to the Dubai Media Office.

Indian Embassy in its latest travel advisory said, “Based on instructions of the UAE Civil Aviation Authorities, the airlines are issuing revised and curtailed flight schedules. Limited flights will operate between airports in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, RAK, Sharjah and Fujairah to different destinations in India. Further details may be checked with the respective airlines.”

Emirates in a post on X said, “All flights to and from Dubai have been temporarily suspended. Please do not go to the airport. Emirates will share updates when available. We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and will not be compromised.”

Following the drone attack, some flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) from Dubai International Airport (DXB).

A temporary closure of Dubai Airport was announced at 6:59 AM. “Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announces the temporary suspension of flights at Dubai International Airport as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff. Travellers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights. Further updates will be announced through official channels as soon as they become available,” the Dubai Media Office said.

Air India cancelled flights to Dubai airport after drone attack caused plumes of smoke to cover the vicinity. In a post on X it said, “Dubai International Airport has temporarily suspended all flight operations to and from the airport. As a result, Air India and Air India Express flights to and from Dubai have been cancelled for the day.”

Dubai Media Office in a post on X said, “Dubai Civil Defence teams have successfully contained the fire resulting from impact to one of the fuel tanks in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport. No injuries have been reported.”