A passenger died and at least eight others were injured after incidents at airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai as escalating conflict in the Middle East triggered widespread flight disruptions and prompted nations to prepare for mass evacuations of their citizens.
Abu Dhabi Airports reported one fatality, an Asian national, and seven injuries at Zayed International Airport on Sunday, though the cause of the incident remains unconfirmed. Dubai International Airport too reported four staff injuries after what authorities described as an overnight attack, with one terminal sustaining minor damage. A minor fire broke out on the facade of the Burj al Arab hotel, reportedly caused by a drone interception, but was quickly brought under control with no injuries reported.
The disruptions stem from retaliatory strikes launched by Iran following the deaths of Ayatollah Khamenei in recent US-Israeli strikes. Countries including Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain have closed their airspace, and the United Arab Emirates implemented a “temporary and partial closure,” leading to the suspension of operations at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha airports. Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 confirmed the airspace closures.
The chaos has stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers and led to the cancellation of over 1,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have also cancelled flights. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic, suspended all Emirates flights until 3 p.m. Local time on Monday.
As the crisis deepens, several nations are initiating plans to evacuate their citizens. Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated the country is “readying to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East by military or charter flights,” with approximately 110,000 Thai nationals residing in the region, including 65,000 in Israel and 250 in Iran. Pakistan’s prime minister’s office announced efforts are “underway to facilitate the safe return of Pakistanis through Azerbaijan.” India’s Cabinet Committee on Security has directed concerned departments to assist Indian nationals affected by the developments.
Japan is also “preparing for the possibility of evacuating Japanese nationals by land as a precautionary measure,” according to cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara. The Middle East hosts a large population of migrant workers, particularly from South and Southeast Asia, with millions of citizens from countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, and the Philippines living and working across Gulf states, Israel, and Jordan.
The UK government is planning one of its largest ever evacuations, with over 76,000 British citizens registered as being in affected areas of the Middle East, a number expected to rise.
