Dubai airports resume full operations as Qatar reopens airspace

Passengers warned to expect further disruption after number of flights diverted late on Monday night

Dubai International Airport has resumed operations after a temporary halt on flights. Photo: Dubai Airports

Dubai Airports said late on Monday night it had “resumed full operations” after a temporary halt caused by Iran's thwarted overnight attack on Qatar's US airbase at Al Udeid.

Two waves of Iranian missiles were fired at the base, forcing Qatar to move to close its airspace.

All of the missiles were destroyed except one that fell in the base, which had been evacuated, a Qatari military official said.

Qatar reopened its airspace in the early hours of Tuesday.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation announced the resumption of air traffic in Qatar's airspace, according to Qatar News Agency.

Dubai Airports – which operates Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport – said it was working with airlines to ensure flights operated as scheduled but said travellers' plans may be disrupted.

“Dubai Airports has resumed full operations at its airports in the emirate following a temporary precautionary pause,” a Dubai Airports statement said.

“The safety and well-being of all travellers and aviation staff remain the highest priority. While Dubai Airports is working with airlines to ensure flights operate according to schedule, some flights may experience delays or cancellations.

“Travellers are advised to stay informed by checking regularly with their airlines for the latest updates.”

Flights diverted after air strike

Flights were diverted to airports across the region after Qatar said on Monday that it was temporarily closing its airspace.

Dozens of planes headed to Doha were rerouted, with AirNav Radar reporting that 91 flights travelling towards Qatar’s capital were diverted after the announcement. Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Dammam were reportedly among the list of new destinations for travellers.

Qatar’s move came “as part of a group of precautionary measures that were taken based on the developments in the region”, the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement after nearby Iran threatened retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear sites.

The UK and US issued alerts to their citizens in Qatar to shelter in place amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

“Following a US security alert for US nationals in Qatar, out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that British nationals in Qatar shelter in place until further notice,” the UK Foreign Office said in its update.

The US embassy in Qatar sent an email to US citizens in the country recommending they shelter in place until further notice. The message said the recommendation was “out of an abundance of caution” and offered no further information.

The region was braced possible Iranian retaliation against US interests in the Middle East after Washington bombed Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday, entering the Iran-Israel conflict for the first time.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday night that Iran and Israel have agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire, but Tehran has pushed back on this claim.

The ceasefire is expected to be enacted at about 12am Washington time, “at which point the war will be considered ended”, Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

“Officially, Iran will start the ceasefire and, upon the 12th hour, Israel will start the ceasefire and, upon the 24th hour, an official end to the 12-day war will be saluted by the world,” he said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that there is currently no agreement on a ceasefire between his country and Israel.

“As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around,” he said in a post on X.

Mr Araghchi added, however, that if Israel stops its “illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards”.

“The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later,” he said.