Today's Edition
Jessi Amason (Abu Dhabi)
The UAE’s transport system has rebounded quickly from the record-breaking rains that hit the country on Tuesday. Zayed International Airport reported being fully operational on Wednesday despite the recent adverse weather, a statement from Abu Dhabi Airports said.
From Tuesday through Wednesday, 21 flights, including one freighter and 20 passenger flights, had been diverted from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Zayed International Airport (AUH).
The statement advised passengers to check their respective airlines’ websites, and social media feeds, ahead of arriving at the airport. flydubai had resumed partial operations from DXB starting at 10:00am on Wednesday morning.
In a statement, a flydubai spokesperson said that due to the impact of the severe weather conditions in the UAE on operations and the ongoing challenging road conditions, there have been further flight cancellations on Wednesday.
“We are working very hard to restore our operating schedule and minimise the disruption to our passengers’ travel itineraries to get them to their final destination safely. We apologise for the inconvenience caused due to the adverse weather,” the spokesperson said.
While some customers have been able to return home or reach their destination, we are aware that many are still waiting to get on flights. Our teams are working hard to restore our scheduled operations, as well as secure accommodation and other amenities for affected customers at… pic.twitter.com/IwkRcOMUJ2
— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) April 17, 2024
The spokesperson also said that passengers whose bookings have been cancelled will be contacted and offered a full refund, and advised passengers that booked through a travel agent to contact them directly for refund or rebooking.
Emirates Airlines, on its official social media accounts, advised its Dubai customers with flights scheduled for Wednesday to not travel to the airport, as check-ins had been suspended for all of its flights.
Air Arabia likewise reported cancelled or rescheduled Wednesday flights, and suspended check-in for flights to and from Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) until 2:00am on Thursday, April 18.
Dubai Metro on Wednesday also came back into service after maintenance work restored the disrupted Red and Green lines, with several stations being reopened. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said that the remainder of the stations would reopen gradually. The RTA also announced that the Dubai Tram was running along its normal route on Wednesday.
