Emirates lifts all air traffic restrictions, restores normal operations
Emirates lifted all flight restrictions on Saturday, and the General Civil Aviation Authority said air operations had returned to normal status in UAE airspace. The move ends months of limits that had affected Dubai and Abu Dhabi since late February, when the United Arab Emirates imposed a temporary and partial closure.
The authority said it made the decision after a comprehensive assessment of operational and security conditions and in coordination with the relevant authorities. It also said it would continue monitoring the situation.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi reopen fully
Dubai and Abu Dhabi were the UAE hubs most directly affected. Dubai is home to the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, and both hubs had been operating under restrictions as the war on Iran spread disruption across the Middle East.
The UAE’s airspace limits sat inside a wider regional shutdown that forced airlines to reroute or stop flying. At least eight states announced full or partial airspace closures, including the UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, after retaliatory strikes closed large portions of regional airspace.
Regional aviation felt the strain
UAE carriers Emirates and flydubai temporarily halted all operations, while Etihad suspended all departures from Abu Dhabi. More than 11,000 flights in and out of the region were cancelled in the opening days of the conflict, leaving hundreds of thousands stranded and pushing some wealthy travellers to pay up to $200,000 for charter flights out of the region.
During the UAE’s gradual reopening in March, airports handled 1.4 million passengers and recorded 7,839 air traffic movements between March 1 and March 12. National carriers recovered to 44.6 percent of normal levels during that period, showing how far the aviation system had already started to rebuild before Saturday’s full lifting of restrictions.
Qatar Airways sets May 10 return
The latest change came a month after a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire brought the conflict to a halt. On Saturday, Qatar Airways said it would resume flights to three Iraqi cities from May 10, a further sign that regional carriers are restoring schedules as airspace reopens.
For passengers moving through Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the practical shift is straightforward: the UAE no longer has the air traffic limits that shaped routing, cancellations and temporary shutdowns since late February. The next operational marker now sits with carriers adjusting schedules as the General Civil Aviation Authority continues its monitoring.
