The UAE's aviation authority announced that air traffic operations in the country have returned to normal, state news agency reports said on Saturday, after precautionary measures introduced on February 28 at the onset of the US, Israel-Iran war were lifted, according to Reuters .
The General Civil Aviation Authority said the decision came after a thorough review of operational and security conditions, carried out in coordination with relevant authorities.
What happened on February 28?
Airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran disrupted air travel across the Middle East and beyond on February 28, Saturday, as several countries shut their airspace and key transit airports linking Europe, Africa, and the West with Asia were affected by the attacks.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers were left stranded or forced to reroute after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain closed their skies. Flight activity also came to a halt over the United Arab Emirates, according to FlightRadar24, following the government's announcement of a "temporary and partial closure" of its airspace, as per AP.
The situation led to the shutdown of major hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, along with the cancellation of more than 1,800 flights by leading Middle Eastern carriers. Airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad typically handle around 90,000 transit passengers daily through these hubs, with even more travelers flying to destinations across the region, as per aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Authorities in the UAE reported incidents at two airports, condemning what they described as a "blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles." Officials at Dubai International Airport said four people were injured, while Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi reported one fatality and seven injuries following a drone strike. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport.
Meanwhile, Air India Express, whose operations were affected by the West Asia conflict, on Thursday restarted flights to Qatar and Bahrain, while also adding more services to the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia, as per PTI.
The conflict in West Asia, which led to airspace restrictions, disrupted airline operations significantly, particularly for Air India Express, as the region represents a major market for the carrier. An official said the airline is gradually resuming scheduled services to several West Asian destinations, though the total number of flights has been reduced.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the airline confirmed that it has resumed operations to Doha and Bahrain and will run additional flights to cities across the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The airline said it will continue services to Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah in the UAE, as well as Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Muscat in Oman, with the restoration of key routes linking India to the Gulf region.
It added that the carrier operates over 500 flights daily, connecting 45 domestic and 17 international destinations across South, Southeast and West Asia.