Dubai Airports resumes limited operations; Emirates and Etihad begin gradual return

The flight chaos across most of the Persian Gulf have become the most significant since the coronavirus pandemic, leaving tens of thousands of people in places like Dubai and Qatar stranded

• Dubai Airports to resume limited flights from Monday evening
• Emirates and Etihad to operate special and repatriation flights
• Gulf airlines still suspended due to regional conflict

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Dubai Airports said "limited" flights would resume on Monday evening, three days after flights were first cancelled due to the war in the Middle East.

"Dubai Airports announces a limited resumption of flights from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) starting this evening, Monday, March 2, 2026," it said in a statement.

Air travel across the Gulf has plunged into chaos after a wave of missile and drone attacks linked to Iran forced major airlines to suspend operations, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded in regional hubs such as Dubai and Doha.

Emirates is preparing to move stranded travellers out of the region. “Emirates will start evacuating passengers on Monday night, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the move hasn’t been publicly announced.”

While regular flights remain grounded, some limited operations are underway.

“While all scheduled flights remain canceled, Etihad will conduct some repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights ‘in coordination with UAE authorities and subject to strict operational and safety approvals,’ the airline said in a statement.”

مطارات دبي تعلن استئناف محدود للرحلات الجوية من مطار دبي الدولي (DXB) ومطار دبي ورلد سنترال – آل مكتوم الدولي (DWC) اعتباراً من مساء اليوم الإثنين 2 مارس 2026. ودعت مطارات دبي المسافرين لعدم التوجه إلى المطار ما لم يتم التواصل معهم من قبل شركة الطيران المعنية لتأكيد موعد إقلاع… pic.twitter.com/ryPoyflfha

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 2, 2026

The disruption is being described as the most severe aviation crisis in the Gulf since the Covid-19 pandemic. Continued missile and drone barrages have made flying risky, compounded by the fog of war that earlier led to the inadvertent downing of three US fighter jets in Kuwait.

بدء تشغيل رحلات استثنائية بمطارات الدولة. يرجى عدم التوجه للمطار إلا بعد تواصل شركة الطيران معكم وتأكيد موعد رحلتكم لضمان انسيابية الإجراءات. Exceptional flights are now operating at UAE airports. Do not proceed to the airport until your airline contacts you with confirmed… pic.twitter.com/AVv8mMqVcc — الهيئة العامة للطيران المدني (@gcaauae) March 2, 2026

According to airport data, several Etihad-operated special-service flights departed from Abu Dhabi International Airport on Monday. The airport was among the sites reportedly damaged during the recent barrage of drones and missiles over the weekend — an attack that resulted in one death and several injuries.

Emirates will begin operating a limited number of flights commencing on the evening of 2 March.

We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority, and those who have been rebooked to travel on these limited flights will be contacted directly by Emirates. Please… pic.twitter.com/YATNz5gSdh — Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) March 2, 2026

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, halted regular operations to and from Dubai until 3 pm local time on Tuesday and warned that disruptions could continue through Thursday.

Meanwhile, Etihad Airways said it had extended flight cancellations until 3 pm Tuesday.

Qatar Airways also announced that flights to and from Doha were suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.