Smoke rising from an area near the Dubai International Airport after a drone attack hit a fuel tank, according to Dubai authorities, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday 16 March 2026; Credit: REUTERS/Stringer

DUBAI (Reuters) - Dubai's international airport was gradually resuming flights on Monday 16 March 2026, authorities said, after a fire caused by a drone attack forced a temporary suspension, further disrupting traffic in one of the world's busiest air travel hubs.

The US-Israel war against Iran has thrown global aviation into turmoil, with flights cancelled, rescheduled and rerouted, as most Middle East airspace stays shut over fears of missile and drone attacks, while the crisis sends fuel prices soaring.

Monday's incident pointed to the challenges for UAE airlines and the wider aviation industry in the effort to ramp up capacity and return operations to normal.

It is the third attack at the Dubai international airport (DXB) since Iran launched assaults on Gulf nations on 28 February, with strikes Tehran has said aim at the US presence in the region.

While the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries host US military facilities, Iran has used missiles and drones to target civilian facilities such as airports, hotels and ports.

In a statement on X, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority flagged a "gradual resumption" of some flights to selected destinations, the Dubai Media Office said.

The Emirates airline said it expected to partially resume operations at 06:00 GMT (07:00 CET) following the attack, which affected a fuel tank near the airport, but caused no injuries.

Some flights had been cancelled, Emirates added on its website, while sister airline flydubai also halted flights temporarily. Some flights were diverted to the Al Maktoum International Airport.

Gulf Arab states have faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since 28 February, with targets including US diplomatic missions and military bases but also key oil infrastructure as well as homes and offices.

The United Arab Emirates, which normalised relations with Iran's arch-foe Israel in 2020, has faced the brunt of the attacks. But all Gulf Arab states have been affected, and all have condemned Iran.

On Wednesday 11 March, two drones fell near the international airport, which suffered damage on the first day of the conflict during an Iranian attack across Gulf states.