UAE | Environment
Fog forces Abu Dhabi airport to close
A total of 16 inbound flights were diverted to Al Ain International Airport when visibility in the UAE capital dropped to as little as 100 metres.
- By Daniel Bardsley, Staff Reporter
- Published: 14:11 November 18, 2007
- Heavy fog blankets Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi on Saturday
- Image Credit: Jhani Mohammed/Gulf News Reader
Dubai: There was severe disruption to flights at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Sunday morning when the airport was closed for nine hours because of fog.
A total of 16 inbound flights were diverted to Al Ain International Airport when visibility in the UAE capital dropped to as little as 100 metres.
A total of 33 flights were delayed by the severe weather conditions. In a statement, the airport warned that Sunday's flight schedules are being hit by the build-up of delayed flights.
"The airport has been speeding up the clearance of delayed flights," the statement added.
Dubai International Airport and Sharjah International Airport were spared the fog that hit them the previous day and flights were able to land and take-off as normal.
However, Sultan Al Mazam, duty manager at Sharjah International Airport, said the knock-on effects of Saturday morning's disruption was still causing delays on Sunday.
Weather watch
Clive Stevens, duty forecaster at Dubai International Airport, said that at this time of year fog can start as early as 11pm and last to as late as 9am in the morning.
"In November, December and January it lasts a long time and can cause a lot of trouble," Stevens said.
By contrast, in the summer months he said fog tends to start at around 5am and only last for around three hours until 8am.
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