Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Emirates flights bound for Dubai turned back or were rerouted after reports of drone strikes and temporary disruption at Dubai International Airport, flight tracking data showed. The reversals added to a series of “flights to nowhere” linked to the Middle East conflict.
Flights return to origin airports and nearby hubs
Emirates flight EK10 from London turned back to Gatwick on Monday while flying over Saudi Arabia, after news broke of a drone strike at its destination, Dubai. Flight data showed the aircraft completed a 9,100 km (6,150 miles) round trip.
Roughly 30 Emirates flights heading to Dubai International were also ordered back or rerouted after Iranian drone attacks temporarily shut what is normally the world’s busiest airport for international passengers.
Emirates confirmed some flights returned to their origin airports or to hubs near the departure points, but provided no further details.
Passenger reactions and the rise of “flights to nowhere”
Passengers expecting a dawn landing in Dubai expressed surprise at the sudden changes.
“Was supposed to wake up on approach to Dubai,” one social media user wrote, posting a map of Emirates flight EK164 turning around near Cairo and heading back to Dublin.
The U-turns were dubbed “flights to nowhere” on social media, and have become a visible feature of flying since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran began on February 28.
Airspace disruptions and continued alerts
The conflict initially shut large parts of Gulf airspace and sent regional traffic to near zero.
Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and flydubai have since restored many services, though intermittent drone and missile alerts continue to prompt sudden diversions. The UAE briefly closed its airspace again on Tuesday.
Between 0140 and 0200 GMT on Monday, Emirates services from several European and Indian cities turned back mid-flight while over Saudi Arabia or the Arabian Sea, according to FlightRadar24 and AirNav Radar.
Have you had a flight diverted or turned back due to airspace disruptions?