Is Dubai airport closed? When will Dubai airspace open? Latest updates travellers should know

All flight operations at both Dubai airports – Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International (DWC) – continue to remain suspended “until further notice” as retaliatory strikes from Iran enter a second day on Sunday, causing major disruptions at some of the world’s busiest airports.

Israel said it launched another wave of strikes on Iran on Sunday, while loud blasts were heard for a second day near Dubai and over Doha, after Iran launched retaliatory air attacks on the neighbouring Gulf states.

Dubai Airport authorities confirmed that the concourse at Dubai International Airport sustained minor damage in an incident, “which was quickly contained”.

They said four staff members sustained injuries and received prompt medical attention.

“Emergency response teams were immediately deployed and are managing the situation in coordination with the relevant authorities,” DXB media office said in its latest update on X.

“Due to contingency plans already in place, most of the terminals were previously cleared of passengers,” it added, saying that further updates will be provided as they become available.

When will Dubai airspace open?

Dubai airspace is not expected to open for a while, as the DXB said its been “suspended until further notice”.

“Flight operations at @DXB and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) have been suspended until further notice,” DXB said in a post on X.

The airport authorities have advised guests \to travel to the airport, and to check with their airlines for flight updates.

The United Arab Emirates’ civil aviation authority said it tended to more than 20,000 affected passengers caught up in the disruption. Tens of thousands of people have been stranded in a region that functions as a global superconnector, linking any two points on the planet with one single stop.

Gulf airlines extend flight cancellations

Flight movements at Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, have been suspended indefinitely.

Etihad Airways extended cancellations until 2 am on Monday, and suggested that passengers check their flight status before travelling to the airport.

Qatar Airways said all flights are still halted and that it would provide an update 9 am on Monday.

The extensive suspension of all air services will severely disrupt global aircraft movements. According to a Bloomberg report, with many planes and crew already out of position because of the airspace closure, it will likely take days to work through the backlog even once operations resume.

Airlines across Europe, Asia and the Middle East cancelled or rerouted flights to avoid closed or restricted airspace, lengthening journeys and driving up fuel costs.

Since the Russia-Ukraine war forced airlines to avoid both countries' airspace, Iranian and Iraqi overflight routes grew more important.

Now with the Middle East airspace closures, airlines have been squeezed into narrower corridors, with fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan adding a further risk, Ian Petchenik, communications director at Flightradar24, told Reuters.

“The risk of protracted disruption is the main concern from a commercial aviation perspective,” Petchenik said. “Any escalation in the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan that results in the closure of airspace would have drastic consequences for travel between Europe and Asia.”

(With agency inputs)