After a week of near-total air-traffic paralysis triggered by the wider US-Israel-Iran conflict, the United Arab Emirates began a careful, phased reopening of its airports on 7 March. Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum (DWC) handled their first passenger departures since 1 March, while Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah reinstated skeleton operations. Airlines are operating along tightly-controlled air-corridors cleared by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority and the country’s air-defence units. Travellers are being allowed into terminal buildings only if they hold a confirmed seat, a step authorities say is essential to avoid congestion and allow security checks to proceed under heightened alert levels.
![UAE airports partially reopen on 7 March as limited commercial flights resume]()
For travellers who suddenly need to arrange or update entry documents, VisaHQ can take the administrative stress off mobility teams. Its dedicated UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers real-time visa guidance, electronic application support and expedited processing options—particularly useful when flight windows open at short notice and assignees must reposition quickly.
Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia each published truncated timetables covering the next 48 hours. Emirates’ initial wave on 7 March included long-haul services to London, Sydney, São Paulo and Toronto, while Etihad concentrated on point-to-point links between Abu Dhabi and major Asian hubs. All carriers are offering penalty-free rebooking or full refunds for tickets issued before 28 February, and have told passengers not to proceed to the airport unless directly contacted. Operational complexity remains high. Gulf airspace is still partially restricted, forcing aircraft to fly extended routings around Iranian and Iraqi territory and to carry additional contingency fuel. Moreover, insurers are demanding higher war-risk premiums, a cost ultimately borne by corporate travel budgets. Mobility managers are therefore warning of longer check-in times, possible last-minute diversions and the need to build extra travel days into assignment schedules. From a corporate-mobility perspective, the partial reopening is pivotal. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the Gulf’s primary transit hubs and home to thousands of expatriate assignees. Being able to rotate staff in and out—albeit on a reduced network—allows projects to restart, goods to flow and business-critical maintenance crews to reach offshore energy sites. Companies are updating emergency-travel policies to reflect the new reality: pre-approved routings, 24/7 tracking, crisis insurance riders and pre-arranged accommodation both in the UAE and in neighbour states that may serve as contingency entry points. Looking ahead, officials say airport capacity will scale up “progressively and cautiously”. Full restoration of pre-crisis schedules is unlikely before late March, but every additional frequency adds back vital seat capacity. Mobility teams should monitor carrier bulletins daily and keep employees informed of changing testing, visa-validity and check-in rules.
For travellers who suddenly need to arrange or update entry documents, VisaHQ can take the administrative stress off mobility teams. Its dedicated UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers real-time visa guidance, electronic application support and expedited processing options—particularly useful when flight windows open at short notice and assignees must reposition quickly.
Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia each published truncated timetables covering the next 48 hours. Emirates’ initial wave on 7 March included long-haul services to London, Sydney, São Paulo and Toronto, while Etihad concentrated on point-to-point links between Abu Dhabi and major Asian hubs. All carriers are offering penalty-free rebooking or full refunds for tickets issued before 28 February, and have told passengers not to proceed to the airport unless directly contacted. Operational complexity remains high. Gulf airspace is still partially restricted, forcing aircraft to fly extended routings around Iranian and Iraqi territory and to carry additional contingency fuel. Moreover, insurers are demanding higher war-risk premiums, a cost ultimately borne by corporate travel budgets. Mobility managers are therefore warning of longer check-in times, possible last-minute diversions and the need to build extra travel days into assignment schedules. From a corporate-mobility perspective, the partial reopening is pivotal. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the Gulf’s primary transit hubs and home to thousands of expatriate assignees. Being able to rotate staff in and out—albeit on a reduced network—allows projects to restart, goods to flow and business-critical maintenance crews to reach offshore energy sites. Companies are updating emergency-travel policies to reflect the new reality: pre-approved routings, 24/7 tracking, crisis insurance riders and pre-arranged accommodation both in the UAE and in neighbour states that may serve as contingency entry points. Looking ahead, officials say airport capacity will scale up “progressively and cautiously”. Full restoration of pre-crisis schedules is unlikely before late March, but every additional frequency adds back vital seat capacity. Mobility teams should monitor carrier bulletins daily and keep employees informed of changing testing, visa-validity and check-in rules.
