Dubai Floods Ground Over 30 Flights, Airlines Scramble Amid Chaos

New Delhi, Apr 17: Over 30 flights, including those operated by Air India Express, Air India, IndiGo, Emirates and SpiceJet airlines, to and from India have been cancelled due to severe flooding in Dubai, triggered by the heaviest rainfall witnessed in decades.

The Dubai airport, one of the world's busiest, on Wednesday also advised passengers not to head to the hub “unless absolutely necessary”. Footage circulating on social media showed the airport's runways flooded and planes attempting to navigate through pools of water.

IndiGo, in a tweet, announced the cancellation of all flights to and from Dubai due to operational challenges arising from adverse weather and road conditions.

“All flights to/from #Dubai stand cancelled due to operational challenges caused by bad weather and road conditions. Please explore our alternate flight options or request for a full refund,” IndiGo said in a tweet.

The airline spokesperson told IANS that a total of 13 flights were cancelled from and to Dubai on Wednesday and passengers were informed accordingly.

Similarly, Air India Express (AIX) reported disruptions to its services, citing adverse weather conditions affecting air travel to the UAE.

The airline said that three to four flights scheduled for April 16 and 17 experienced delays, with seven flights ultimately cancelled.

“Passengers were provided the option of a full refund or free rescheduling,” said the AIX.

Meanwhile, SpiceJet and Air India are yet to provide official statements regarding the situation. However, SpiceJet issued a tweet cautioning passengers about potential disruptions to departures and arrivals due to the adverse weather conditions in Dubai.

Emirates, Dubai's flagship carrier, said it has suspended check-in at the Dubai airport for departing passengers until midnight due to what it called “operational challenges” caused by bad weather and road conditions.

On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was lashed by downpours described by its National Centre of Meteorology as the heaviest rainfall in the past 75 years.

As a result, the federal government announced extending remote working for all state employees to Wednesday.(IANS)