KUALA LUMPUR: Dubai International Airport (DXB), one of the world’s busiest, is advising passengers not to come to the airport unless absolutely necessary, due to the unprecedented weather conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Dubai Airports updated its website on Wednesday to address weather-related disruptions, stating that flights are still being delayed and diverted.
“Please contact your airline for the latest information on your flight status.
“We are working hard to recover operations as quickly as possible in very challenging conditions,” it said.
Media reports said that the UAE witnessed its heaviest rainfall in 75 years from late Monday through Tuesday night, surpassing anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.
The downpour reportedly impacted numerous regions across the country.
Meanwhile, airlines reported experiencing disruptions to their flight schedules.
Emirates Airline said that it is suspending check-in for passengers departing DXB from 8 am on 17 April until midnight, due to operational challenges caused by bad weather and road conditions.
The Dubai-based carrier said passengers arriving in Dubai and already in transit will continue to be processed for their flights.
“Customers can expect delays to departures and arrivals, and are advised to check the latest flight schedules on https://emirat.es/flightstatus ,” it wrote on X.
Meanwhile, flydubai has temporarily suspended departing flights from Dubai for all evening on April 16 until 10am (Dubai local time) on April 17.
A flydubai spokesperson as reported by Emirates News Agency (WAM) said that the severe weather conditions across the UAE have resulted in significant disruption to the airline’s operations at DBX.
“As a result, many flydubai flights have been cancelled or experienced extensive delays. The severe weather conditions are expected to continue throughout the night and into tomorrow (17 April).
“All flydubai flights scheduled for departure from Dubai this evening (16 April) has been cancelled effective immediately until 10.00 (Dubai local time) on 17 April. During this period, passengers who do not have Dubai as their final destination will not be accepted for travel.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and update our schedule accordingly. This will allow us to restore operational continuity more efficiently and accommodate arriving flights from around the network where possible,” the spokesperson said as reported by WAM.
Etihad Airways in its statement reported by WAM said some flights may be delayed due to adverse weather conditions.
“Guests are advised to regularly check etihad.com for the latest information about their flight departure and allow plenty of time to travel to the airport.
“Etihad will be working closely with guests affected by any disruption to assist them with changes to their itineraries and to reach their final destination.
“The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our number one priority and we regret any inconvenience caused,” the airline’s statement said.
