Emirates Operates First Flight from Dubai to India Following US-Israel Strike on Iran
International carrier Emirates has commenced flight operations from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, following strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran. The first flight was operated on Monday evening to Mumbai, India.
According to CNBC, the departure occurred several hours after the airline received permission from local authorities to resume limited flight operations. This move signals that airlines are preparing to restore services following the cancellation of thousands of flights triggered by the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict.
Based on data from flight tracking website Flightradar24, Emirates flight EK500 departed at 21:12 local time. The aircraft used was an Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger airliner.
The strikes resulted in the closure of airspace across most of the region, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded worldwide and triggering thousands of flight cancellations, including flights not destined for or originating from the affected area, as aircraft could not traverse the impacted zone.
Dubai itself is one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs. The airport authority managing Dubai’s airports stated that a limited number of flights would be permitted to operate from Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum.
Emirates has requested customers not to come to the airport unless they have received notification from the airline. “We are prioritising customers with earlier bookings. All other flights remain suspended until further notice,” Emirates stated on its X platform post.
Separately, Israeli airline El Al stated it was considering leasing private jets to repatriate stranded Israeli citizens. El Al also mentioned considering renting KlasJet aircraft to transport passengers from European airports to Aqaba, Jordan, via the southern border.
The airline had previously considered flight operations through Taba, Egypt, but cancelled those plans after failing to obtain approval from Israeli security authorities.
Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways stated that all commercial flights to and from the city were suspended until Wednesday afternoon local time. However, the airline remained open to operating a number of cargo and repatriation flights whilst following strict operational and safety protocols.