Heavy rains in UAE: 17 flights cancelled, 3 diverted due to inclement weather

Passengers asked to check directly with airlines to get latest information and allow extra travel time to the airport

Waheed Abbas

Published: Tue 16 Apr 2024, 12:56 PM

Flight operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) were disrupted due to inclement weather on Tuesday, resulting in cancellations, delays and diversion of flights.

Dubai Airports confirmed that the bad weather impacted 17 inbound and outbound flights on Tuesday. Some delayed flights eventually landed around noon.

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"Dubai Airports can confirm that normal operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been affected due to inclement weather conditions on Tuesday, with some delays to arriving and departing flights. Consequently, a total of nine outbound and eight inbound flights were cancelled this morning, and three flights were diverted to other neighbouring airports, one of which has since returned to DXB," a Dubai Airports spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times.

Dubai Airports asked passengers to check directly with their airline to obtain the latest information on the status of their flight, allow extra travel time to the airport, and use Dubai Metro for smoother transit.

"We are actively collaborating with our service partners and airlines to minimise any inconvenience experienced by our valued guests," said a Dubai Airports spokesperson.

Rains and thunderstorms hit different parts of the UAE on Tuesday, prompting authorities at the federal and emirate levels to issue safety advisories for residents and travellers.

Meanwhile, a Flydubai spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times that the adverse weather conditions in the UAE on April 16 impacted the carrier's flight schedule at Dubai International (DXB). "We have cancelled some flights as a result and are currently experiencing some delays," said the airline's spokesperson.

"We are working hard to minimise any disruption to our passengers' travel schedules and are coordinating with all parties at the airport. We will continue to monitor the weather conditions closely, and we advise our passengers to allow extra time for their journey to the airport," said the spokesperson.

Flydubai asked passengers to check online 48 hours and 75 minutes before the flight departure time from Dubai.

"Passengers are advised to aim to arrive at the airport at least four hours before their flight departs as check-in closes 60 minutes before the flight departure time. Passengers can save time at the airport by using one of our new self-service kiosks in Terminal 2, where they can print their baggage tag and complete online check-in, then go directly to the dedicated bag drop desk," said the Flydubai spokesperson.

An Etihad Airways spokesperson said that due to the potential adverse weather, including heavy rains in Abu Dhabi (AUH), on April 16, some flights may be delayed.

"Guests are advised to regularly check the Etihad website for the latest information about their flight departure and allow plenty of time to travel to the airport. Etihad will be working closely with guests affected by any disruption to assist them with changes to their itineraries and to reach their final destination.

The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our number one priority and we regret any inconvenience caused," said the spokesperson.

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