Emirates’ first flight out of Dubai takes off
A passenger named Mohd Umardaraz from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, found himself stranded at Terminal-3 of the Delhi airport after his flight to Kuwait was cancelled due to airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East on March 1, 2026.
Image Source: Arvind Yadav | Hindustan Times | Getty Images
The first Emirates flight departing from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since the U.S. and Israel’s attacks on Iran, took off on Monday night headed for Mumbai, India, as per flight data. This comes after the airline received approval from local authorities to resume a “limited number” of flights.
This development signals airlines’ readiness to resume services in the region following numerous flight cancellations.
Emirates flight EK500 departed at 9:12 p.m. local time on an Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, according to Flightradar24, a flight tracking website.
Additionally, Israeli carrier El Al stated that it is exploring the option of chartering private jets to repatriate stranded Israeli nationals.
These announcements offer hope for a potential improvement in air travel after a significant portion of the Middle East airspace was closed over the weekend due to the U.S.-Israeli actions against Iran and subsequent retaliatory measures.
The airspace closures left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded worldwide and led to thousands of flight cancellations, impacting even those not traveling to or from the affected areas due to the airspace restrictions. Dubai, a major air travel hub, was among the affected regions.
The airport authority overseeing Dubai’s airports announced that a limited number of flights would be allowed to operate from Dubai International and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International. Travelers were advised to check with their respective airlines for updates.
Emirates confirmed that it would commence a “limited number of flights” on Monday night, prioritizing customers with existing bookings and cautioned against going to the airport without prior notification.
El Al revealed plans to potentially utilize KlasJet planes to transport passengers from European airports to Aqaba in Jordan. Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, announced the suspension of all commercial flights to and from the city until Wednesday afternoon local time, with exceptions for certain cargo and repatriation flights adhering to stringent operational and safety protocols.
