Flights in and out of Dubai cancelled and diverted after storms
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The UAE's poor weather conditions have caused disruptions to flights arriving and departing from Dubai. As a result, there have been cancellations, delays and route changes that will continue until the dates of April 16 and 17.
Dubai has been struck by thunder, lightning, hail, and torrential downpours, resulting in officials instructing schools and government agencies to operate remotely. Authorities have advised citizens to remain indoors as much as possible and only venture outside if absolutely necessary.
The Dubai Airport’s site, positioned among the most active airports globally, received about 86 million travelers in 2023. Presently, the webpage discloses that there are around 20 flights canceled on April 16th and multiple flights postponed. The affected routes were cities around Pakistan and India, including Saudi Arabia and Manchester.
Apart from Dubai, the nearby emirates of Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain were also warned about the bad weather. The harsh weather affected places in Abu Dhabi on the 15th of April. There were also further accounts of highways being flooded. In Oman, which is close by, there were reports of 18 fatalities due to the heavy rains in recent times.
Pictures revealed a vast amount of rainwater flooding the streets in Dubai, causing difficulty for vehicles attempting to navigate the inundated roads.
Airline companies like Emirates are recommending flyers to reach the airport four hours before their flight time. The Dubai Road and Transport Authority tweeted advising travelers to allocate more time for commuting to the airport and to consider using Dubai Metro, especially today. They also mentioned that the operating hours for the metro have been extended until 3 AM tonight.
Individuals who are planning to travel from Dubai should check their flight status using the flydubai webpage.
Someone who speaks on behalf of Dubai Airport informed The Independent that the airport is facing major challenges due to a heavy rainfall and flooding that occurred on Tuesday, April 16th. The circumstances were so severe that operations had to be stopped for 25 minutes during the afternoon. However, they have now resumed and are slowly returning back to normal.
Today, at the early hours of 00:02 LT, there were a total of 21 flights scheduled to leave and 24 flights that were supposed to arrive but were cancelled. Additionally, three flights had to be redirected to nearby airports.
We recommend that travelers contact their airline directly for the most current information regarding their flight status. It is advisable to budget for extra travel time when heading to the airport and opt for a smoother transit experience by using the Dubai Metro. Moreover, the metro's service hours have been extended until 03:00 hrs LT tonight.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority suggests taking steps to reduce the negative effects of heavy rainfall and hailstorms on your property. This includes implementing preventive measures and parking your vehicles in secure and high areas, far from harm's way.
