Dense fog in Dubai: 21 DXB, 2 Dubai World Central flights diverted

Dubai: Flight operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) were disrupted early Saturday morning, with several departures and arrivals delayed by up to two hours.

The delays are believed to be caused by dense early morning fog that blanketed parts of Dubai and the northern emirates.

According to flight-tracking data on the airports’ website, Emirates services to destinations including Colombo, Auckland, Dar es Salaam, Malé, and Brisbane were among those affected. flydubai flights to Mombasa, Krabi, and several other destinations also experienced delays ranging from 30 minutes to more than an hour.

Dubai Airports, the operator of DXB and Dubai World Central (DWC), said in a statement to Gulf News, "Early-morning weather conditions on Saturday, January 3 led to the diversion of 21 inbound flights from Dubai International (DXB) and two inbound flights from Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC)."

The statement explained that "airport teams are working closely with airlines, relevant authorities and service partners to bring schedules back into balance and support guests affected by the brief disruption."

With weather conditions now normal, operations are returning to normal, with efforts focused on minimising delays, Dubai Airports confirmed.

Similarly, a number of Air Arabia flights arriving from or departing to Delhi, Kazan, Addis Ababa, Bishkek, Alexandria, Cochin, and other cities were reported delayed.

The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) had earlier issued a fog alert covering Dubai, Sharjah, and other parts of the UAE, warning of reduced visibility in some areas during the early hours of the morning.