Emirates flights hovered at around 60% of their pre-war flight activity levels, according to FlightRadar24. Local rival Etihad has taken a far more cautious approach and is operating at around 15% of normal capacity.
On Monday morning, Dubai International Airport temporarily shut down again after an Iranian drone attack caused a fuel tank fire. It was the third attack on the airport since the conflict began. Airspace was completely closed at the start of the war and the disruption has continued sporadically since then; ticket prices have soared worldwide — a reflection of the importance of the Gulf as an air travel hub — and passengers report that missile alerts continue to cause delays.
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said more than 1.4 million passengers passed through the country’s airports from Mar. 1 to 12; without the war, however, that figure would have been roughly three times higher.