Dubai Airports to 'scale up operations' as UAE airspace restrictions lifted

04/05/2026 04:08 AST

Dubai Airports said it is "moving decisively to scale up operations, increasing flight movements in line with available regional routing capacity." This comes after UAE General Civil Aviation Authority's announcement of air traffic returning to normal.

UAE first partially closed its airspace on February 28, as the country took precautionary measures to protect flights, air crews and the nation's territory amid the US-Israel-Iran war.

After the country lifted all precautionary restrictions on airspace on May 2, Dubai Airports said it has entered the next phase of recovery operations.

The entity will increase daily flight movements and enable airlines to progressively restore schedules. Capacity is now primarily aligned to the availability of regional flight paths outside of the UAE, with "ongoing coordination to optimise flows across neighbouring airspace", according to a statement.

How DXB responded to regional disruption
Amid regional disruption across the travel industry, Dubai International Airport (DXB) "continued to sustain global connectivity," even as airspace capacity and flight schedules were constrained, the authority said.

Here's a snapshot of airport statistics during an unprecedented period for the region:

Since February 28, 6 million guests, over 32,000 aircraft movements, and 213,000 tonnes of essential cargo transported through Dubai's airports as of April 30.

Q1 2026 - DXB welcomed 18.6 million guests, down 20.6 per cent year on year.

Passenger traffic in March at 2.5 million, down 65.7 per cent year on year.

Cargo volumes reached 399,600 tonnes in Q1 2026 at DXB, down 22.7 per cent; 66,000 tonnes handled in March. Aircraft movements totalled 88,000, a 20.8 per cent decline from same period last year.

17.6 million bags processed at DXB during Q1 2026, including 2.6 million in March, with a mishandled baggage rate of 3.5 per 1,000 passengers, compared to 1.95 per 1,000 passengers in the same period last year.

Timeline of airspace closure
Feb 28: UAE announced temporary, partial closure of the country's airspace as an "exceptional precautionary measure" after US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

Feb 28: Dubai Airports suspends operations until further notice; Abu Dhabi Airports announces expected flight diversions, cancellations. Sharjah also suspends all flights. Airlines follow suit, making similar announcements

March 2: Abu Dhabi Airports, DXB, Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RKT) resume limited flight operations

Khaleej Times