Dubai diverts 19 flights due to dense fog, reduced visibility

Dubai International Airport (DXB) confirmed on Thursday that morning operations were disrupted by dense fog, forcing more than a dozen flights to be diverted.

"DXB has been experiencing operational disruption since the early hours of Thursday due to reduced visibility. As of 9am local time, 19 inbound flights have been diverted to nearby airports. Dubai Airports is working closely with airlines, control authorities, and all airport partners to stabilise the operation as quickly as possible and to minimise any inconvenience to guests," Dubai Airports said in a statement to Khaleej Times.

Recommended For You

Airbus prepares A320 inspections in 628 planes as fuselage flaw hits deliveries

Norris won't ask Piastri to gift him F1 title in Abu Dhabi GP

UAE team hoists portraits of founding leaders, flag on French Alps braving -3ºC weather

George Clooney is curious about Travis Kelce's post-retirement plans

Haaland proud after making Premier League history with 100th goal

 

The spokesperson urged travellers to verify their flight details before heading to the airport, advising passengers using Dubai International Airport (DXB) to check updates directly with their airlines.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Flydubai said that some of its flights were delayed due to the first fog of this year witnessed in the UAE on Thursday.

"The foggy weather conditions in Dubai this morning have caused delays to some of our flights. A number of flights also had to be cancelled and diverted. We expect our flights to operate on schedule as soon as the weather starts to improve. We apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused to our passengers,” the carrier said in a statement to Khaleej Times.

Earlier, Sharjah Airport also advised passengers to stay updated on the latest flight information and possible changes to the flight schedule.

In an announcement, the airport said a number of scheduled services had been affected due to unstable weather in the region, and travellers should avoid heading to the airport without confirming their flight status in advance.

"A number of flights have been cancelled and delayed due to the weather conditions. We strongly advise passengers to contact their airlines directly to verify the status of their flights before heading to the airport,” the airport said, stressing the importance of checking official updates to avoid inconvenience.

The airport's advisory comes as residents in some parts of the UAE woke up to monster fog blanketing the Emirate, reducing visibility, which can impact flight operations, ground handling, and aircraft movements.

Residents earlier reported visibility dropping to less than 500 metres in several areas as they commuted through the morning fog. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) issued red alerts across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman. The first warning was released shortly after midnight as visibility deteriorated sharply.

• Dubai

Waheed Abbas

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.