Overnight rain in the Emirates is reverberating 2,000 km away: travellers from Ahmedabad woke on Friday to discover flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah delayed by up to seven-and-a-half hours. A SpiceJet Boeing 737 to DXB (SG 15) eventually pushed back more than 450 minutes late, while Emirates EK 540 and EK 538 left with averaging four-hour delays, local airport officials confirmed.
Before departure, passengers can mitigate knock-on disruption by ensuring their travel documentation is flawless. VisaHQ’s online portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) streamlines UAE visa applications, provides real-time status updates, and offers concierge support—particularly handy when sudden schedule changes force last-minute rebooking or alternative routings.
![Indian departures to UAE face seven-hour holdups as storm hits Gulf]()
Ahmedabad International’s flight information display systems blamed “destination weather”; in practice, slot constraints at DXB plus en-route ATC flow restrictions forced carriers to hold aircraft on the ground in India. The ripple effect stranded hundreds of business travellers scheduled to attend pre-Christmas meetings in the UAE’s free-zones.
Corporate travel buyers should note that Indian low-cost carriers typically re-book on the next available service rather than interline during irregular operations (IROPs). Travellers holding separate tickets onward from DXB may therefore mis-connect and must seek waivers case-by-case.
Mobility teams moving technicians into the UAE for year-end shutdown projects should consider routing via Mumbai or Delhi, where alternative UAE services have marginally better on-time performance this week.
Before departure, passengers can mitigate knock-on disruption by ensuring their travel documentation is flawless. VisaHQ’s online portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) streamlines UAE visa applications, provides real-time status updates, and offers concierge support—particularly handy when sudden schedule changes force last-minute rebooking or alternative routings.
Ahmedabad International’s flight information display systems blamed “destination weather”; in practice, slot constraints at DXB plus en-route ATC flow restrictions forced carriers to hold aircraft on the ground in India. The ripple effect stranded hundreds of business travellers scheduled to attend pre-Christmas meetings in the UAE’s free-zones.
Corporate travel buyers should note that Indian low-cost carriers typically re-book on the next available service rather than interline during irregular operations (IROPs). Travellers holding separate tickets onward from DXB may therefore mis-connect and must seek waivers case-by-case.
Mobility teams moving technicians into the UAE for year-end shutdown projects should consider routing via Mumbai or Delhi, where alternative UAE services have marginally better on-time performance this week.
