Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
06-05-2026
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has lifted all flight restrictions put in place since the start of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, the country’s civil aviation authority has announced.
All air operations have returned to “normal status” in UAE airspace, the General Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement on Saturday.
“Our decision came following a comprehensive assessment of operational and security conditions, in coordination with the relevant authorities”, the aviation authority said in a post on social media, adding that it would continue monitoring the situation.
The announcement marks a significant milestone for UAE hubs Dubai, home to the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, and Abu Dhabi, which have been operating under restrictions since late February.
The US-Israel war on Iran has caused major disruption to aviation across the Middle East, with Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf countries forcing the closure of large portions of the region’s airspace.
As well as dealing a blow to a region that is striving to lessen it economic dependence on fossil fuels, the upheaval has restricted the number of routes available to air carriers operating long-haul flights between Europe and Asia.
At least eight states announced full or partial airspace closures, including the UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
UAE carriers Emirates and flydubai temporarily halted all operations, while Etihad suspended all departures from Abu Dhabi.
More than 11,000 flights in and out of the region were cancelled in the opening days of the conflict, according to aviation data firm Cirium.
The UAE declared a “temporary and partial” closure of its airspace at the beginning of the conflict in late February, before announcing a gradual reopening in March.
During the UAE’s partial resumption of air traffic between March 1 and 12, the country’s airports handled 1.4 million passengers and recorded 7,839 air traffic movements, while its national carriers saw their operations recover to 44.6 percent of normal levels.
A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire last month brought the conflict to a halt, paving the way for Saturday’s announcement. Signs of a broader regional aviation recovery are emerging. Qatar Airways on Saturday separately confirmed that it would resume flights to three Iraqi cities from May 10, after previously announcing plans to serve more than 150 destinations across six continents from mid-June.
Last month, The United Arab Emirates has resumed a limited number of flights amid ongoing travel chaos across the region, prompted by the joint war by the United States and Israel on Iran.
Dubai’s airport authority said on Monday that it had authorized a “small number” of flights to operate from Dubai International airport, the world’s busiest gateway for international passengers, and Dubai World Central airport.
The authority said that passengers should not make travel plans unless they had been contacted directly by their airline with a confirmed departure time.
Dubai-based Emirates announced the resumption of a “limited” number of flights on Monday evening, and said that customers with earlier bookings would take priority.
Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, said that commercial flights would remain suspended until Wednesday, but that some “repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights” could take place subject to operational and safety approvals.
At least 16 Etihad Airways flights departed from Abu Dhabi on Monday to destinations including London, Amsterdam, Moscow and Riyadh, according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24. (Int’l News Desk)
