Chennai: Air services in the Middle East have been severely disrupted due to the ongoing conflict in the region. On Monday morning, an Emirates Airlines passenger flight that had departed from Chennai bound for Dubai was forced to return and land back at Chennai Airport. The incident occurred after a fire broke out at Dubai International Airport following an Iranian attack, leading to the suspension of airport operations.
An Emirates Airlines flight carrying 242 passengers arrived at Chennai International Airport from Dubai at 2:15 AM on Monday. Subsequently, after boarding approximately 200 passengers for the return journey, the flight departed from Chennai for Dubai at 4:00 AM. Reports indicate that while the aircraft was flying over the maritime boundary of Gujarat, the pilot received information that fresh missile attacks were taking place in Dubai, necessitating the temporary closure of the airspace.
Following this, the pilot contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) officials at both Dubai and Chennai airports. The Air Traffic Controllers subsequently advised the pilot to return to Chennai. Consequently, the Emirates Airlines passenger flight returned to Chennai and landed at approximately 8:20 AM today. All passengers are currently being kept seated inside the aircraft.
Chennai Airport officials stated that if there is a prolonged delay before the flight can take off again, the passengers will be accommodated in hotels in Chennai and will be flown to Dubai once the situation stabilizes.
On February 28, the United States and Israel jointly launched a military campaign against Iran; since then, bombings have continued in Iran’s capital, Tehran, and other cities. In retaliation to the attacks by the U.S. and Israel, Iran has been conducting airstrikes on U.S. embassies and military bases located across the Middle East.
For security reasons, several countries in the Middle East have closed their airspaces. As a result, travelers bound for destinations such as Dubai, Qatar, and Oman—including passengers from India—are facing significant difficulties. During the first four days following the outbreak of war in the Middle East, most flights operating from Chennai to various destinations—including Dubai—remained cancelled.
