Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international passengers, saw its first departures on Monday evening after days of total shutdown due to the escalating conflict involving in the Middle East and subsequent retaliatory actions.
The limited resumption offers initial relief to hundreds of thousands of stranded travellers across the region, though full operations remain far off.
Limited resumption at Dubai Airports
The Dubai Airports authority announced a “limited resumption of operations” starting Monday evening, authorising a small number of flights from Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (Al Maktoum International, DWC). Passengers were strongly advised not to head to the airports unless directly contacted by their airline with a confirmed departure time. The move follows airspace closures across multiple countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain, triggered by the conflict that began over the weekend.
Dubai-based Emirates, a major global carrier, confirmed it would operate a limited number of flights, putting customers with earlier bookings first in the queue who have been affected by the cancellations.
Five Emirates aircraft departed Dubai this morning — all A380s — bound for Jeddah, Manchester, Paris, London, and Frankfurt. pic.twitter.com/LUV0YB1uA7
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 3, 2026
Emirates flights first to departure
The first flights to leave Dubai were Emirates services heading to Jeddah, Manchester, Paris, London, and Frankfurt. These marked the initial departures from Dubai since airspace restrictions halted operations around February 28.
Flight tracking data from sources like Flightradar24 confirmed these landings early Tuesday morning, March 3, providing a glimmer of normality during the widespread disruption. Other carriers, including budget airline Flydubai, operated select flights, such as services to Russia, though details remained fluid with schedules subject to rapid changes based on safety approvals.
Broader regional disruption and passenger impact
The conflict has caused massive aviation fallout, with over 11,000 flights cancelled region-wide since Saturday and more than 4,000 daily cancellations reported. High cancellation rates affected key destinations: 71 per cent to the UAE, 79 per cent to Qatar, 81 per cent to Israel, and 92 per cent to Bahrain.
The sheer logistical nightmare unfolding right now is unreal.
Dubai International Airport just became a massive, forced waiting room. Thousands of passengers are instantly stranded as flights cancel across the board.
The wildest part? With trains halted, people are literally… pic.twitter.com/EncdKnEYF9
— Desiree (@DesireeAmerica4) February 28, 2026
While Etihad Airways (based in Abu Dhabi) focused on repositioning, cargo, and repatriation flights, including departures to London, Moscow, Paris, and others, regular commercial services stayed suspended until at least Wednesday, March 4.
Passengers have described chaotic scenes at airports, with delays, lack of announcements, and security alerts from potential missile threats adding to the stress. Aviation experts warn that prolonged conflict could reshape global routes, raise insurance costs, and shift traffic to safer airports if key east-west corridors continue to be unviable.
Individual states chartering flights
Governments worldwide, including Germany and the UK (with over 100,000 Britons registered in the region), are arranging charter evacuations and asking their citizens to shelter while monitoring developments.
