An Emirates flight with 152 passengers was stranded at Calcutta airport for nearly seven-and-a-half hours on Monday after Dubai International Airport temporarily closed following a fire caused by a drone attack.
Several flights from India to Dubai were delayed, and at least three Emirates flights had to return mid-air, officials said. This is the latest disruption at Dubai airport since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation, on February 28.
Tour operators in Calcutta said the UAE and Qatar, which were key gateways for travellers to Europe and the US, now see few passengers because of safety concerns and uncertainty. While fares to Europe and the US via Dubai remain significantly lower than routes through Delhi, Mumbai or Singapore, only a handful of travellers are willing to take the risk.
According to Calcutta airport officials, Emirates flight EK 0571 was scheduled to depart at 9.45am. However, Dubai airport had been closed since early morning, and the flight eventually took off at 5.11pm. The incoming flight had arrived on time.
A flydubai flight carrying 76 passengers had taken off at 3.01am, before the closure.
Around 5.30am, Emirates staff at Calcutta airport received a message to suspend check-ins. By 11.30am IST, a few flights resumed operations out of Dubai, and full services were restored by 2.30pm IST, airport sources said.
Dubai authorities reported that the fire, caused by a drone impact on a fuel tank at 4am (5.30am IST), led some flights to be diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport. No
injuries were reported, and the situation was brought under control.
Emirates flights from Delhi, Kochi and Chennai had to return after take-off due to the closure.
Passengers expressed frustration over the disruption. One flier from Ottawa, booked on an Emirates flight from Mumbai to Toronto via Dubai, said: “My flight was at 7.20pm. In the morning, I received a message it was delayed to 8.30pm, and later to 10pm. I was worried it would be cancelled... I have to join work and my daughter’s exams are near... I didn’t get a seat on any other airline.”
Anil Punjabi, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India for the east, said most passengers heading to Europe or the US are now avoiding Gulf routes despite low fares. “With no direct flights to Europe or the UK from Calcutta, the Gulf sector was the main route. But now very few are travelling,” he said.
Krishnendu Kanungo, who lives in Paris, had come to Calcutta on January 23 and was scheduled to return with his wife and daughter on March 1 via Abu Dhabi. Their flight was cancelled, and they are now booked on an Emirates flight through Dubai on March 20. On Monday evening, the economy fare per person from Calcutta to Paris was ₹35,000 on Emirates, compared with ₹2.89 lakh on Air France and ₹2.7 lakh on Virgin Atlantic for the same day.
“But I don’t want them to travel through West Asia now. We are looking for a fare within reach,” said Krishnendu’s mother, Pradipta.
Landing ban
Late on Monday night, Dubai airport suspended landings for all foreign (non-UAE) airlines at Dubai International and Al Maktoum International airports until further notice.
The airport cited “the prevailing situation within the
region and in the interest of the safety of airlines, crew, passengers, employees, and the public”.
Following the alert, IndiGo issued an update: “As per the latest update from Dubai Airport authorities, landing permissions for aircraft operating into DXB have been suspended until further notice in view of the prevailing situation in the region.”