Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international passenger traffic, temporarily suspended operations on Saturday following an aerial interception near the airport amid ongoing attacks linked to Iran.
“For the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew, operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been temporarily suspended,” the Dubai Media Office announced on social media.
The suspension came shortly after an object was intercepted near the airport, with witnesses reporting a loud explosion and a plume of smoke. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed planes circling above the airport in holding patterns.
Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, also confirmed it was suspending all flights to and from Dubai until further notice, advising passengers: “Please do not go to the airport.”
Authorities reported only a “minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception,” causing no injuries. The Dubai government also denied circulating social media claims about additional incidents at the airport.
“The air defences of the United Arab Emirates are currently responding to missile and drone threats originating from Iran,” the Emirati Ministry of Defence said, without specifying targets.
This suspension follows a week of heightened regional tensions after US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory attacks. Last Saturday, a separate incident at Dubai airport injured four staff members and damaged a terminal, which authorities said was quickly controlled.
Iranian attacks have also impacted other high-profile sites in the UAE, including Abu Dhabi International Airport, the Palm Jumeirah development, the Burj Al Arab hotel, and the US consulate in Dubai, where drone debris caused a fire earlier this week.
Despite daily threats, flights had partially resumed at Dubai International on Monday, but Saturday’s incident forced renewed disruption across the airport and Emirates’ operations.
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