Dubai to close airspace for three hours every day for Dubai Airshow

Dubai: As many as 148 flights will be rescheduled per day during the peak hours of the Dubai Airshow, which starts on Sunday.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority will close the airspace between 2:15pm and 5:15pm on each day of the show, which runs until next Thursday at the Airport Expo.

"During the Dubai Airshow temporary flight restrictions will be put into effect to ensure that nothing enters the radius of airspace needed for the show," Mohammad Ahli, Director General of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, told Gulf News.

The airport will be busy with Haj pilgrims returning home. Plenty of warning s have been given to airlines to move flights outside the required three hours.

Some airlines have chosen to cancel flights while others have taken the option of rescheduling them.

Emirates has announced earlier check-in times for flights between 1 and 5pm on the days of the show.

Passengers in all classes are required to check in no later than 90 minutes before the scheduled departure time, and late passengers will not be accepted.

Mohammad Mattar, Emirates divisional senior vice-president for airport services, said: "To ensure on-time departures during the Dubai Airshow, Emirates is implementing a strict check-in and boarding policy."

Emirates check-in procedures

Meanwhile, all Emirates flights departing between 1pm and 5pm daily will be subject to a mandatory early check-in from November 12 to 17. Passengers, in all classes, are required to check-in no later than 90 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Check-in counters will not accept passengers after this time.

In addition, boarding gates will close 50 minutes prior to the revised scheduled time of departure to ensure flights leave on time. Latecomers to the boarding gate will be denied boarding.

The Emirates First Class and Business Class chauffeur drive service will also reflect these changes to ensure passengers reach the airport within the specified timeframe.

Emirates recommends all passengers travelling on these dates allocate additional travel time to the airport, due to expected heavy traffic in and around the terminals for the Dubai Airshow.

Full details of all affected flights can be found at www.emirates.com or by calling Emirates Customer Service on 04 214 4444.