Dubai airports resume full operations

Dubai announced on Monday night that its airports were back to full operations after a short precautionary pause. The Dubai Media Office said that the safety of passengers and airport staff remains the top priority. Earlier in the evening, flights to and from the UAE experienced some delays and disruptions after several nearby countries shut their airspace in response to an Iranian missile strike on the U.S. Al Udeid airbase in Qatar.

Late on June 23, 2025, Iran launched six missiles toward the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in retaliation for U.S. strikes, prompting Qatar to immediately close its airspace. Within hours, neighboring UAE and later Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq followed suit.

Flight chaos across the Gulf

Flight operations across the Gulf faced severe disruptions as Etihad Airways grounded key regional routes—including Abu Dhabi to Doha, Kuwait, Muscat, and Riyadh—on June 23 and 24. Qatar Airways suspended all flights to Iran, Iraq, and Syria, indicating a significant escalation in travel disruptions. Emirates halted and rerouted flights over Baghdad, Basra, and Tehran, extending the suspension until at least June 30. Kuwait Airways also suspended its services, further compounding the region-wide aviation chaos.

The impact of the airspace closuresThe wider impact of the airspace closures was felt across the region, with Dubai International Airport reporting over 388 delayed flights and several planes diverted to India and Egypt. Major global carriers such as British Airways, Air France–KLM, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines either canceled or rerouted multiple flights through Gulf airspace. In response, authorities in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and other countries issued travel advisories, urging passengers to closely monitor flight updates and consider postponing travel or securing insurance.

Following Iranian missile strikes, airspace in Qatar and the UAE was abruptly closed, grounding hundreds of flights and prompting Gulf carriers like Etihad, Emirates, and Qatar Airways to suspend regional services, leading to widespread disruptions in global travel. Dubai’s busiest airport experienced over 388 delays, while international airlines rerouted their flights. Although Qatar has since partially reopened its airspace, uncertainty continues, and travelers are advised to remain alert and flexible.