UAE Restores Normal Operations on Budapest Flights After Airspace Lifting

The United Arab Emirates restored budapest flights operations to normal status on Saturday after lifting all flight restrictions introduced since the start of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran. The General Civil Aviation Authority said the change applies across UAE airspace, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi had operated under restrictions since late February, when the UAE declared a temporary and partial closure of its airspace. The authority said it made the decision after a comprehensive assessment of operational and security conditions and in coordination with the relevant authorities.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi Reopen

The reopening gives Dubai, home to the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, and Abu Dhabi a return to normal operations after months of stop-start service. Between March 1 and 12, UAE airports handled 1.4 million passengers and recorded 7,839 air traffic movements, while national carriers recovered to 44.6 percent of normal levels.

Emirates and flydubai had temporarily halted all operations, and Etihad suspended all departures from Abu Dhabi. Dubai’s airport authority said it authorised a limited number of flights as hundreds of thousands remained stranded, and wealthy travelers were paying up to $200,000 to charter flights out of the region.

Regional Airspace Recovery

The closure and later reopening in the UAE formed part of a wider aviation disruption tied to the conflict, which had closed large portions of regional airspace and forced more than 11,000 flights in and out of the region to be cancelled in the opening days. At least eight states announced full or partial airspace closures, including the UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Signs of broader recovery appeared on Saturday when Qatar Airways said it would resume flights to three Iraqi cities from May 10. Qatar Airways had previously announced plans to serve more than 150 destinations across six continents from mid-June.

Pakistan-Brokered Ceasefire

A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire last month brought the conflict to a halt, setting up the conditions for the UAE to move from a gradual reopening in March to a full return to normal operations on Saturday. For passengers rerouted through Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the practical change is immediate: the hubs that anchor the region’s long-haul network are back on regular status.