Air India cancels all Dubai flights after drone strike near airport

Air India and its budget carrier Air India Express has announced the cancellation of all flights to and from Dubai. The decision comes after a reported drone strike near the airport on the Monday morning. A fire was reported near Dubai’s international airport on Monday after a drone-related incident, authorities said. “A drone incident in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) affected one of the fuel tanks,” the Dubai Media Office posted on X.

Shortly after, The Dubai International Airport has announced the temporary suspension of all flight operations after the incident. Following the order, Air India requests its passengers to either reschedule their flights for another date or cancel their bookings and get a full refund.

In a tweet, Air India addresses its passengers and apologies for the inconvenience and adds that the staff would be available to assist all passengers throughout their process.

While the Dubai flights stand cancelled, Air India Express’ ad-hoc flight operations to and from Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah will continue as announced

A major airline like Emirates has also advised passengers to not approach the airport. A Dubai-bound flight of the airline from Kochi returned hours after take-off following the drone incident near the airport. Among all Middle Eastern countries targeted by Iran, the UAE has been worst hit, having engaged in 1,600 drones and more than 300 missiles since the conflict began.