Air India Group suspends Dubai flight operations after drone attacks fuel tanker

Air India Group on Monday announced the suspension of all flights to and from Dubai International Airport following a drone attack on oil tanker in the vicinity of the airport. The fire caused by the drone incident was contained within hours, with no injuries reported on the spot.

"Dubai International Airport has temporarily suspended all flight operations to and from the airport," the Tata-owned carrier said, adding that Air India and Air India Express flights to and from Dubai have been cancelled for the day.

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The airline is offering flexibility to the affected guests with the option of rebooking to a future travel date or cancellation and refund at no additional cost.

Amid the ongoing flight disruptions, the airline confirmed that Air India Express' ad-hoc flight operations to and from Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah will continue as announced.

Air India Express passengers can change or cancel their booking by typing #GulfCrisis on Tia, its AI-powered digital assistant, on WhatsApp at +91 63600 12345, or on its website or the AIX mobile app.

Earlier on Sunday, Air India announced the two carriers will together operate 48 scheduled and non-scheduled flights, to and from the West Asia region on March 16, 2026.

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Air India and Air India Express confirmed that their scheduled operations to Jeddah and Muscat continue as normal, including a total of 10 flights between India and Jeddah.

Air India is set to operate one return service each from Delhi and Mumbai, while Air India Express will operate one flight each from Bengaluru, Kozhikode and Mangalore.

Air India Express is set to operate 12 scheduled flights to and from Muscat, with one service each from Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram and two services from Kochi.

The two airlines will operate 26 non-scheduled flights to and from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, subject to the availability of slots and other prevailing conditions at the departure stations at the time.

Also read: Drone hits fuel tank in Dubai Airport's vicinity

Drone incident at Dubai International Airport (DXB)

A drone incident occurred in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport that affected one of the fuel tanks in the facility. Dubai Civil Defence authority contained the fire within hours and reported zero injuries due to the incident.

"Dubai Civil Defence teams have successfully contained the fire resulting from impact on one of the fuel tanks in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport. No injuries have been reported," Dubai Media Office said.

Following the drone incident, the airport suspended flight operations as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff.

The airport further announced that it has diverted some flights from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).

Emirates suspends Dubai flights

Alongside Air India, Dubai-based Emirates airline initially announced the suspension of all flights to and from DXB until further notice and urged passengers to refrain from travelling to the airport.

In a while, Emirates announced resumption of limited flights to select destinations after 10:00 hrs Dubai local time.

"Unfortunately, some flights from today’s schedule have been cancelled. Affected customers will receive a cancellation notice and will be advised on reaccommodation options," it said.