UAE flight delays, cancellations: All you need to know

Dubai: The UAE experienced its most substantial rainfall in 75 years on Tuesday, April 15, impacting flights to and from the country. Airport services faced disruptions, leading airlines to delay, cancel, and divert numerous flights. As repair efforts progress and weather conditions stabilised on Wednesday, some flights and UAE hubs have resumed operations. However, flight operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) continue to suffer delays and cancellations.

Here is everything you need to know if you are flying out or into the country:

Emirates Airlines has issued an alert for customers still waiting for their bags.

Affected passengers who travelled to Dubai as their final destination but could not retrieve their bags can now collect them from the airport.

Dubai: flydubai has returned to operating its full flight schedule from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB).

In a statement, the airline said, "Our focus over the coming days continues to be on our passengers whose travel plans have been impacted."

Dubai Airports has issued an alert urging guests departing from Dubai International (DXB) to arrive at Terminal 3 hours before their departure time, news agency WAM reported.

In a statement, the company advised travellers against arriving too early to avoid further overcrowding at the airport.

Pakistan-based budget airline Airblue has reduced flight frequencies to and from Dubai on April 19 and 20, following the recent notifications issued by Dubai Airports.

“Before departing for your flight, kindly do check communication received from the airline,” said the airline. Passengers can check flight statuses on the airline’s official website.

Indian budget carrier SpiceJe faces disruptions due to severe weather impacting Dubai Airport operations, the airline announced. “Due to Dubai airport restrictions, SpiceJet flights to and from Dubai (DXB) are impacted. Changes are reflected on SpiceJet’s official website,” the airline said. Passengers are being offered an alternate flight or a full refund,” and airline spokesperson said.

Indian carrier IndiGo flights to and from Dubai are impacted due to airport restrictions and operational challenges caused by bad weather, the airline said in a statement. Passengers have been advised to keep track of their flight statuses on the IndiGo Airlines website before leaving the airport. Several IndiGo flights were either delayed or cancelled since Tuesday.

Indian carrier Air India has cancelled all flights operating to and from Dubai due to continued operational disruptions at Dubai Airport, the airline said Friday. “We are doing our best to get affected customers on their way by re-accommodating them on flights as soon as operations resume,” the airline said in a statement.

The airline said customers booked on Air India flights with valid tickets for travel until April 21 will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling and full refunds for cancellation.

flydubai has adjusted its schedule for Friday, April 19, and there have been further flight cancellations. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight before they leave for the airport.

“We are working hard to minimise any disruption to our passengers’ travel schedules and are coordinating with all parties at the airport. We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the operational challenges, according to the company's spokesperson,” said a spokesperson.

Operations at Zayed International Airport (AUH) have resumed normalcy with some delays in arrivals, according to airport’s live tracker. UAE’s flag carrier Etihad Airways, which operates out of AUH, has resumed all flight operations.

The UAE's flagship carrier suffered delays to flights on April 16 and 17 due to the heavy rainfall in Abu Dhabi. It said that some flights may still be disrupted. The airline urged passengers to visit its website to check the status of their flights and departure times.

Do not arrive at the airport without confirmed tickets: DXB

Dubai Airports urged passengers not to come to the airport unless their flight has been confirmed and recommended arriving only two hours before their scheduled departure.

Emirates suspends connection flights

Emirates has also decided to suspend check-in for all customers across its network travelling with onward connections through Dubai, until 11.59 pm on April 19. This is to support operations recovery from the recent bad weather at its Dubai hub.