Christmas Travel Chaos in Dubai: Thousands Face Flight Delays
UPDATE: Severe thunderstorms have triggered a travel nightmare for tens of thousands of passengers in Dubai this Christmas season, with numerous flights delayed and cancelled.
Authorities confirm that adverse weather conditions in the UAE and surrounding regions on December 18 and 19, 2023, have severely impacted operations at Dubai International Airport, the main hub for Emirates Airlines. As a result, 26 Emirates flights have been grounded, affecting destinations including the Maldives, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka.
Passengers arriving from Gatwick, Manchester, and Newcastle airports faced additional turmoil as their flights were diverted to Dubai’s second airport, World Central, late Thursday night. Many of these aircraft were left on the tarmac for hours before being cleared to continue their journey to Dubai International, which is only 28 miles away.
One frustrated traveler, Dean Borrington from Sheffield, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his outrage: “Absolutely appalling service from Emirates. An A380 full of passengers held on the aircraft at a second Dubai airport for hours, with virtually no clear or honest communication. Families travelling for Christmas have missed onward connections entirely. Total shambles!!!”
In a response, Emirates acknowledged the issue and urged affected passengers to send their booking information for assistance. Many other flights from various airlines, including Turkish Airlines, have also been diverted or delayed. A Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul was forced to return to its departure point after circling for five hours, ultimately arriving in Dubai seven hours late.
Travelers are reporting dire conditions at the airport, with one passenger named Roger pleading for updates from Emirates: “Can you urgently update all of the people waiting at Dubai airport? Inbound flight was two hours late; we’ve been waiting in the airport all night with no food or places to stay.”
Reports indicate that flights operating later Friday morning are running approximately 90 minutes behind schedule, jeopardizing connections for many travelers. Under air passenger rights regulations, UK travelers facing such disruptions are entitled to be rebooked to their final destination as soon as possible, along with being provided meals and hotel accommodations.
Moreover, low-cost airline FlyDubai has cancelled dozens of departures due to the continued weather issues, while Virgin Atlantic flights from Dubai to London Heathrow have also been delayed by two hours.
As the chaos unfolds, travelers are urged to stay in close contact with their airlines for the latest updates. The situation is developing rapidly, and affected passengers are facing an uncertain wait as they try to reach their holiday destinations.
Stay tuned for more updates on this ongoing travel disruption as we continue to monitor the situation closely.
