Bad weather continued to impact flight operations at Dubai International for the second straight day on Monday, with the operator confirming that as many as 44 flights had been cancelled.
“Between Sunday afternoon and the early hours of Monday, a total of 44 flights were cancelled while 12 flights that were diverted to Dubai World Central (DWC) and other neighbouring airports have since returned back to DXB or their respective base,” said a Dubai Airports spokesperson in a statement.
It added that operations were slowing recovering to normal levels after almost two days of disruption.
Dubai-based carriers Emirates and flydubai confirmed delays and cancellations because of the dust storm.
“Due to the adverse weather in Dubai, some of our flights are delayed or have been cancelled. So, before you set off for the airport, please check the status of your flight,” flydubai said in a Facebook post.
If a flight has been cancelled, passengers can contact their travel agent or visit the 'manage booking' section on flydubai’s website to rebook on another flight or to arrange a refund. “We want you to know that our teams are working hard to get you to where you want to be.”
“Sandstorms and heavy dust in Dubai may cause disruption to some Emirates flights arriving and departing at Dubai International on August 15. Emirates urges customers to check their flight status on for the latest information regarding their flights, and to ensure their contact details are updated on emirates.com via the “manage my booking” tab to receive notifications,” an Emirates airline spokesperson said.
"Emirates apologises for any inconvenience caused. The safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised.”
Sharjah-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The airline’s UAE hub – Sharjah airport – has seen seven flight cancellations over the last 24 hours, according to Flightaware, an aircraft tracking website.
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways is flying as per schedule. “Etihad Airways flights are currently operating as scheduled and have not experienced any delays or disruptions as a result of the adverse weather in Abu Dhabi,” said an airline spokesperson.
“Our teams are continuing to closely monitor the weather conditions,” said Etihad.
Air India, which reported some late departures on Sunday, said there could be further delays on Monday. Heavy rain hit parts of the UAE on Sunday evening. Dusty weather was reported in Dubai and other parts of the country today, reducing horizontal visibility on many UAE roads.
