Flights from Dubai are being delayed or cancelled after UAE airspace was temporarily closed following drone and missile attacks on Tuesday, in a further setback to the region’s attempts to reopen air travel.
The airport has closed to foreign airlines, while planes taking off late on Monday were forced to stop at other sites for refuelling after a fuel tank near the airport was hit by a drone, according to multiple people. It suspended operations for seven hours on Monday after the strike.
Dubai’s airspace was completely closed for a time on Tuesday in an “exceptional precautionary measure”, its Civil Aviation Authority said. The announcement came minutes after the emirate’s defence ministry said they were responding to incoming missile and drone attacks from Iran.