Dubai flights suspended

A pre-dawn strike on March 16 hit an aviation fuel-storage tank near Dubai International Airport reported), producing a large fire that emergency crews worked to contain. Airport operations were rerouted in part: several services were diverted to Al Maktoum International (DWC) while some flights were handled on a reduced schedule after the incident noted). Major carriers updated customers — Emirates posted travel advisories and said affected passengers would receive cancellation notices stated), while Indian operators including IndiGo and Air India logged cancellations and schedule changes in the immediate aftermath reported). The strike came amid a wider series of Iran-launched drone and missile actions in the Gulf, part of an escalation regional outlets linked to Tehran’s recent attacks on UAE targets documented). The UAE’s civil regulator issued an emergency safety decision temporarily restricting unmanned aircraft and light-sport operations across national airspace following the incident published). Dubai International’s role as a global hub — handling more than 90 million passengers annually — magnified disruption risks from a single ground strike on fuel infrastructure, aviation analysts and operators warned observed).