India’s largest budget carrier IndiGo alerted passengers on 23 February that “adverse weather in Dubai” could delay departures and lengthen tarmac waits at the world’s busiest international airport. Thick early-morning fog, preceded by overnight showers, reduced runway visibility below 500 metres and forced Dubai Air Traffic Control to slow the arrival rate.
While DXB’s own hub airlines can often re-sequence banks of connecting flights, point-to-point carriers such as IndiGo have less slack in their rostering. The airline has deployed additional customer-service staff at Terminal 1 and urged travellers to monitor flight status via its mobile app before leaving for the airport. Change-fee waivers are being granted on a case-by-case basis.
For mobility teams moving talent between India and the UAE, the key consideration is knock-on compliance risk: Indian nationals arriving late may miss biometric enrolment slots at GDRFA service centres or the 72-hour window to complete Emirates ID fingerprints. Corporates should proactively reschedule appointments or book the new “Fast-Track” lanes at Dubai’s Amer Centres to avoid fines.
![IndiGo Issues Dubai Travel Advisory as Fog and Rain Disrupt DXB Operations]()
Travel-documentation headaches often compound these schedule disruptions. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) allows employers and travellers to verify UAE entry rules in real time, upload paperwork and secure expedited visas, giving teams one less variable to worry about when flights slip off the timetable.
Logistics managers also face potential crew-duty-time infringements, with several IndiGo Airbus A320 crews reaching maximum FDP limits after holding patterns. Expect sporadic cancellations across the airline’s 14 daily India–Dubai legs until the current weather system clears mid-week.
The episode is a reminder that even routine Gulf weather patterns—fog in winter, sandstorms in spring—can cascade into significant operational and immigration challenges for high-volume short-haul routes.
While DXB’s own hub airlines can often re-sequence banks of connecting flights, point-to-point carriers such as IndiGo have less slack in their rostering. The airline has deployed additional customer-service staff at Terminal 1 and urged travellers to monitor flight status via its mobile app before leaving for the airport. Change-fee waivers are being granted on a case-by-case basis.
For mobility teams moving talent between India and the UAE, the key consideration is knock-on compliance risk: Indian nationals arriving late may miss biometric enrolment slots at GDRFA service centres or the 72-hour window to complete Emirates ID fingerprints. Corporates should proactively reschedule appointments or book the new “Fast-Track” lanes at Dubai’s Amer Centres to avoid fines.
Travel-documentation headaches often compound these schedule disruptions. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) allows employers and travellers to verify UAE entry rules in real time, upload paperwork and secure expedited visas, giving teams one less variable to worry about when flights slip off the timetable.
Logistics managers also face potential crew-duty-time infringements, with several IndiGo Airbus A320 crews reaching maximum FDP limits after holding patterns. Expect sporadic cancellations across the airline’s 14 daily India–Dubai legs until the current weather system clears mid-week.
The episode is a reminder that even routine Gulf weather patterns—fog in winter, sandstorms in spring—can cascade into significant operational and immigration challenges for high-volume short-haul routes.
