Smoke Billows After Drone Strikes Dubai Airport Runway, Flights Operations Hit | Watch

Last Updated:March 07, 2026, 15:00 IST

A witness also told AFP that an explosion was heard over the airport followed by a cloud of smoke in the air.

Dubai Airport Hit: Dubai International Airport briefly suspended flight operations on Saturday after an aerial drone, reportedly launched from Tehran, was intercepted near the airport.

In a video widely circulated on social media platforms, smoke can be seen billowing after an aerial object, reportedly to be a drone, can be seen striking the runway of the world’s busiest for international traffic.

A witness also told AFP that an explosion was heard over the airport, followed by a cloud of smoke in the air.

In the wake of the security of passengers, Dubai airport temporarily suspended operations.

“For the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew, operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been temporarily suspended," the government’s Dubai Media Office said in a social media post.

Some flights were later resumed, but the airport advised travellers to arrive for their journeys only after confirmation with the airline.

“We have partially resumed operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of DXB and DWC," it said, referring to Dubai’s main airport as well as the city’s Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport.

“Please do not travel to the airport unless you have been contacted by your airline that your flight is confirmed, as schedules continue to change," it told passengers

Emirates said that “all flights to and from Dubai have been suspended until further notice". Customers who booked to travel between February 28 till March 31 were given options to rebook or request for a refund.

Earlier, the Dubai government had dismissed reports of any incident at the international airport in the megapolis as videos of smoke rising above the airport circulated on social media.

The Dubai government’s media office clarified that no incident occurred at the airport. It added that no injuries were reported in a minor incident in the city resulting from fall of debris.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed a few flights over or near the Dubai airspace, even though the official airport website showed several flights arriving and departing or scheduled to arrive and depart. The website showed 60 to 90 minutes of delays at the airport on average.

The development came as the conflict between the United States and Iran continued into its second week, raising security concerns across the region.

Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest hubs and ranked second globally after Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, has faced disruptions in recent days amid heightened tensions in West Asia.

Last week, the airport suffered damage following Iranian strikes on Gulf countries.

A concourse was damaged, and four staff were injured, an airport statement said, adding that the terminals were previously cleared of passengers.

Dubai’s media office also said debris from an aerial interception sparked a fire at one of the berths at Jebel Ali Port.

Dubai is the biggest tourism and trade hub in the West Asia and its airport is one of the world’s busiest travel hubs.

News world Smoke Billows After Drone Strikes Dubai Airport Runway, Flights Operations Hit | Watch

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