Weather-Induced Delay at Dubai Airports: What Happened and How It Was Resolved
Dubai Airports Chief Operating Officer, Majid Al-Joker, is optimistic that the airport will return to normal within 24 hours. The measures taken in the past hours were aimed at ensuring everyone’s safety, from travelers to work crews. Al-Joker explained that the return to normal has been progressing since Thursday morning, with the resumption of receiving domestic travelers and registering departures from Dubai.
In terms of airport systems, Al-Joker stated that they were not affected by the unprecedented rain. Any water accumulations in various places were dealt with swiftly. He confirmed that the rainwater did not flood the main runway at Dubai International Airport, which remained operational without interruption. The only area affected by water accumulation was the Taxiway due to the unprecedented amounts of rain not seen in the UAE since 1949.
Al-Joker emphasized that the safety of passengers and aviation is a top priority at Dubai airports, and the decision to delay, reschedule, cancel, and divert flights was made in the best interest of travelers. Operations at the airport have gradually returned to 100% normal since April 18th, with Terminals 1, 2 and 3 resuming work to receive departing flights from Dubai.
Passengers transiting through Dubai Airport continued their flights almost normally, with some delays on certain flights. Al-Joker highlighted the importance of close cooperation between Dubai airports teams, airlines service providers and partners in overcoming challenges quickly and ensuring everyone’s safety while travelling through this global hub for aviation industry. He reassured that flights scheduled for the coming period remain on track and passengers should follow flight schedules with airlines.
