After three days of total suspension caused by the regional air-space closures that followed Iran’s missile and drone barrage, the United Arab Emirates’ two largest gateways – Dubai International (DXB) and Abu Dhabi Zayed International (AUH) – reopened to limited traffic on 3 March 2026. Operations restarted late on 2 March and ramped-up cautiously through Tuesday, with just a fraction of the normal 1,400 daily movements cleared for departure or arrival. Emirates, Etihad and flydubai each obtained crisis slots for high-priority passenger flights. By mid-afternoon on the 3rd, four Emirates wide-bodies had landed in Europe and Asia while Etihad dispatched two Boeing 787s to Heathrow and Frankfurt. Low-cost carrier Air Arabia, however, kept its network grounded until 15:00 UAE time on 4 March, underscoring the uneven carrier-by-carrier approach.
![Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports restart limited passenger services after unprecedented air-space shutdown]()
For travelers still needing to adjust itineraries or secure last-minute documentation, VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers a streamlined way to check visa requirements, arrange emergency e-visas and obtain passport services—particularly useful if rerouting through Muscat or Colombo obliges a different entry clearance. Their specialists can also advise on fast-changing transit rules during the current disruption.
Aviation authorities said the phased restart was dictated by risk assessments that still classify large portions of Iranian, Iraqi and Saudi airspace as conflict zones. Crews must fly lengthy detours via Muscat FIR and the Arabian Sea, adding up to 90 minutes to westbound sectors and inflating fuel burn at a time of spiking oil prices. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) confirmed that Terminal 3 at DXB sustained superficial damage and remains partially closed pending repairs. For business travellers, the restart means meetings pencilled for the end of the week stand a chance of going ahead, but only for those already ticketed on the handful of operating flights. Corporates are re-routing staff via Muscat and Colombo or making greater use of video-conferencing until the frame-work flight programme expands. Cargo shippers have been told that priority will go to medical, food-stuff and time-critical high-tech consignments until belly-hold capacity normalises. Travel managers should continue to monitor airline apps, register staff on their respective embassy crisis platforms and factor in longer ground times caused by enhanced security screening. The GCAA has warned that a single escalation in the conflict could trigger another full closure with only minutes’ notice, so contingency policies should remain active until at least next week.
For travelers still needing to adjust itineraries or secure last-minute documentation, VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers a streamlined way to check visa requirements, arrange emergency e-visas and obtain passport services—particularly useful if rerouting through Muscat or Colombo obliges a different entry clearance. Their specialists can also advise on fast-changing transit rules during the current disruption.
Aviation authorities said the phased restart was dictated by risk assessments that still classify large portions of Iranian, Iraqi and Saudi airspace as conflict zones. Crews must fly lengthy detours via Muscat FIR and the Arabian Sea, adding up to 90 minutes to westbound sectors and inflating fuel burn at a time of spiking oil prices. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) confirmed that Terminal 3 at DXB sustained superficial damage and remains partially closed pending repairs. For business travellers, the restart means meetings pencilled for the end of the week stand a chance of going ahead, but only for those already ticketed on the handful of operating flights. Corporates are re-routing staff via Muscat and Colombo or making greater use of video-conferencing until the frame-work flight programme expands. Cargo shippers have been told that priority will go to medical, food-stuff and time-critical high-tech consignments until belly-hold capacity normalises. Travel managers should continue to monitor airline apps, register staff on their respective embassy crisis platforms and factor in longer ground times caused by enhanced security screening. The GCAA has warned that a single escalation in the conflict could trigger another full closure with only minutes’ notice, so contingency policies should remain active until at least next week.
