Limited Flights To Begin From Dubai, Plane From Abu Dhabi Lands In Delhi

Air travel across the United Arab Emirates is beginning to take off after days of disruption triggered by escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi preparing to restart limited flight operations. A plane from Abu Dhabi landed in New Delhi on Monday night, carrying passengers who were stuck due to the Middle East tensions.

Ethiad plane EY216 landed in Abu Dhabi at 3:42 pm and landed in New Delhi at 8:31 PM, according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24. 

Authorities and airlines announced that select services would resume from Monday evening, offering relief to thousands of passengers stranded after widespread airspace closures across the Gulf.

Dubai government's media office confirmed that Flydubai would begin operating a limited schedule.

“Flydubai will operate a limited number of flights on the evening of 02 March 2026. Customers are advised to update their contact details via Manage Your Booking and check Flight status at http://flydubai.com before travelling to the airport,” the office wrote on X.

Emirates airline also said it would resume a small number of services while prioritising passengers already holding bookings.

“We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority, and those who have been rebooked to travel on these limited flights will be contacted directly by Emirates. Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified,” the airline said in a statement.

The carrier added that most operations remain suspended.

“All other flights remain suspended until further notice. Emirates continues to monitor the situation, and we will develop our operational schedule accordingly. Updates will be published on http://emirates.com and our official social media channels. We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience. The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority,” the statement said.

Abu Dhabi airports also said "operations partially resumed" on Monday. At least 15 Etihad Airways passenger aircraft took off from Abu Dhabi within a three-hour window, likely to clear transit passengers who have been stuck there since the start of the conflict. 

The Indian Aviation Ministry said that 357 flights planned for operation today were cancelled.

Meanwhile, Air India Express said that it will resume flight operations to and from Muscat starting tomorrow, March 3, with scheduled services to Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Tiruchirappalli. The first Air India Express flight from Muscat will operate to Tiruchirappalli, departing at 10:25 hours local time.

"Meanwhile, flight operations to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remain suspended until 23:59 hrs IST (18:29 hrs UTC) on March 3, 2026," an Air India Express spokesperson said.

The reopening follows a series of Iranian attacks on Dubai's airport. Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest aviation hubs in the world, was struck twice during the conflict.

Four people were injured after Iran launched retaliatory strikes following United States and Israeli military operations targeting Iran and other cities.

The United Arab Emirates temporarily and partially closed its airspace on Saturday as a precautionary measure, triggering mass cancellations and leaving lakhs of travellers stranded at Dubai International Airport.

Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Manama were all affected during the escalation. One death was reported in Abu Dhabi linked to an incident at an airport facility.

Dubai International Airport (DXB), ranked the world's second-busiest airport after Atlanta according to Airports Council International, serves as a major global transit hub connecting Europe, Asia and Africa.