The United Arab Emirates imposed an unprecedented temporary closure of its airspace on the morning of 1 March 2026 after overnight missile and drone exchanges between the United States-Israel coalition and Iran spilled into Gulf skies.
In a joint statement, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia and the operators of Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports confirmed that **all commercial traffic was suspended until at least mid-afternoon on 2 March**. Emirates grounded every departure from Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central, while Etihad halted services at Zayed International (AUH). Low-cost carriers flydubai and Air Arabia followed suit.
Although the pause ultimately lasted just over 24 hours, it paralysed two of the world’s busiest long-haul hubs and forced hundreds of through-passengers into unexpected stop-overs. DXB alone handles about 7,700 weekly flights; with both DXB and AUH offline, alternate routings via Muscat and Jeddah quickly reached capacity, and European and Asian flag-carriers opted to cancel rather than detour around the Gulf.
![UAE shuts airspace, Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports halt all flights amid regional missile crisis]()
Airport officials said limited structural damage was recorded at one DXB concourse after falling debris was intercepted overhead; in Abu Dhabi, debris killed one ground worker and injured seven. Aviation insurers have already warned corporate travel managers to expect higher war-risk premiums on Middle-East routings until tensions ease.
For travellers suddenly facing visa complications because of the shutdown, VisaHQ can step in to obtain emergency extensions, new entry permits, or alternative documentation, streamlining every step through its UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) and providing real-time status updates so that companies and individuals stay compliant while plans are reshuffled.
Practically, employers with personnel on assignment in the UAE should **activate duty-of-care protocols**: record staff whereabouts, extend hotel bookings, and work with immigration advisers to prevent over-stay fines if employees’ visas expire while they are stranded. The GCAA has directed airlines to provide meals, accommodation and re-booking at no cost to travellers, offering a framework multinationals can rely on when negotiating expense claims.
In a joint statement, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia and the operators of Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports confirmed that **all commercial traffic was suspended until at least mid-afternoon on 2 March**. Emirates grounded every departure from Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central, while Etihad halted services at Zayed International (AUH). Low-cost carriers flydubai and Air Arabia followed suit.
Although the pause ultimately lasted just over 24 hours, it paralysed two of the world’s busiest long-haul hubs and forced hundreds of through-passengers into unexpected stop-overs. DXB alone handles about 7,700 weekly flights; with both DXB and AUH offline, alternate routings via Muscat and Jeddah quickly reached capacity, and European and Asian flag-carriers opted to cancel rather than detour around the Gulf.
Airport officials said limited structural damage was recorded at one DXB concourse after falling debris was intercepted overhead; in Abu Dhabi, debris killed one ground worker and injured seven. Aviation insurers have already warned corporate travel managers to expect higher war-risk premiums on Middle-East routings until tensions ease.
For travellers suddenly facing visa complications because of the shutdown, VisaHQ can step in to obtain emergency extensions, new entry permits, or alternative documentation, streamlining every step through its UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) and providing real-time status updates so that companies and individuals stay compliant while plans are reshuffled.
Practically, employers with personnel on assignment in the UAE should **activate duty-of-care protocols**: record staff whereabouts, extend hotel bookings, and work with immigration advisers to prevent over-stay fines if employees’ visas expire while they are stranded. The GCAA has directed airlines to provide meals, accommodation and re-booking at no cost to travellers, offering a framework multinationals can rely on when negotiating expense claims.
