Dubai’s two largest carriers have quietly expanded the list of ad-hoc flights available to travellers stranded by the ongoing airspace emergency. In an update posted to Emirates’ «Travel Updates» page and circulated on community forums in the early hours of 28 March, the airline lists one-way services from Dubai International to London, Mumbai, Manila and Sydney over the next 48 hours, subject to «operational and regulatory approvals». Sister carrier flydubai remains grounded, but low-cost rival Air Arabia confirmed a handful of outbound sectors from Sharjah to Cairo, Kochi and Tbilisi. Seat availability is extremely limited: Emirates is using smaller Boeing 787s and has capped luggage to cabin baggage only. Fares are fully refundable if the flight is cancelled, and the airline warns passengers not to proceed to the airport without a confirmed booking barcode.
![Emirates and Air Arabia add limited departure flights as airspace restrictions persist]()
Travellers who need help securing last-minute exit or transit visas, or clarifying their overstay status, can tap VisaHQ’s rapid-response service: the platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers same-day document checks and filing for UAE departures as well as onward destinations, providing an extra layer of assurance while flight options remain scarce.
Check-in opens four hours before departure and closes 90 minutes ahead, with security officials conducting manual passport checks to ensure travellers fall under the ICP overstay-waiver programme. The partial restart is primarily aimed at clearing the backlog of tourists and short-term business visitors who have overstayed involuntarily since 28 February. Corporate mobility managers should note that the flights are **departure-only**; return services remain suspended until further notice, and inbound travellers will be denied boarding at origin stations. Employers must therefore secure alternative work locations or remote-work authorisations before authorising staff to leave. Human-resources teams should also issue written travel letters summarising the employee’s status and destination contact details, as immigration officials at DXB are requesting proof of onward accommodation plans. Travellers connecting beyond the first gateway city must hold printed copies of any third-country visas, because several transit hubs have introduced ad-hoc document checks for passengers arriving from the Gulf conflict zone. Insurance providers confirmed to Global Mobility News that war-risk surcharges now apply to tickets originating in the UAE, adding roughly USD 80 per sector. Companies should budget for the extra cost and consider bulk bookings through a single travel-management provider to secure scarce seats.
Travellers who need help securing last-minute exit or transit visas, or clarifying their overstay status, can tap VisaHQ’s rapid-response service: the platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers same-day document checks and filing for UAE departures as well as onward destinations, providing an extra layer of assurance while flight options remain scarce.
Check-in opens four hours before departure and closes 90 minutes ahead, with security officials conducting manual passport checks to ensure travellers fall under the ICP overstay-waiver programme. The partial restart is primarily aimed at clearing the backlog of tourists and short-term business visitors who have overstayed involuntarily since 28 February. Corporate mobility managers should note that the flights are **departure-only**; return services remain suspended until further notice, and inbound travellers will be denied boarding at origin stations. Employers must therefore secure alternative work locations or remote-work authorisations before authorising staff to leave. Human-resources teams should also issue written travel letters summarising the employee’s status and destination contact details, as immigration officials at DXB are requesting proof of onward accommodation plans. Travellers connecting beyond the first gateway city must hold printed copies of any third-country visas, because several transit hubs have introduced ad-hoc document checks for passengers arriving from the Gulf conflict zone. Insurance providers confirmed to Global Mobility News that war-risk surcharges now apply to tickets originating in the UAE, adding roughly USD 80 per sector. Companies should budget for the extra cost and consider bulk bookings through a single travel-management provider to secure scarce seats.
