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Dozens of flights were cancelled or diverted and road closures enforced on Monday after operations were temporarily halted at Dubai International Airport following a fire resulting from a "drone-related incident".
The blaze was caused by a strike on a fuel tank in the vicinity of the airport, which have been targeted by a series of drone attacks since the start of the Iran conflict on February 28.
Emirates airline said a limited schedule of flights had resumed from 10am on Monday.
No injuries were reported and the fire at DXB was "contained", Dubai Media Office said. Dubai Police announced the closure of some roads near the airport.
The blaze was extinguished 15 hours after it was started by a drone attack, Dubai Media Office confirmed shortly after 7.30pm, with cooling operations under way.
Elsewhere, one person died after a missile fell on a vehicle in Al Bahyah area of Abu Dhabi, the government media office said.
Authorities also said a fire broke out at Fujairah Oil Industry Zone after it was targeted in a drone attack. No injuries were recorded.
Meanwhile, a fire broke out in a building in Umm Al Quwain after it was targeted by a drone on Monday, the emirate's government media office said on Monday afternoon.
No injuries have been recorded, the office said, adding that relevant teams in the emirate have begun taking the necessary measures to deal with this incident.
Travel disruption as attacks persist
Some flights were diverted from DXB to Al Maktoum International Airport. Others were cancelled.
One overnight flight, EK421 from Perth, Australia to Dubai, was diverted to Abu Dhabi after circling for more than an hour, FlightRadar charts showed.
Another overnight flight, EK164 from Dublin to Dubai, turned around over Egypt and returned to the Irish capital eight hours after takeoff.
The resumption of some flights was also confirmed by the emirate's media office on X.
"Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announces the gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International Airport to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure," Dubai's media office stated.
The latest strike on Dubai's main air travel hub caused significant disruption for passengers, with some left stranded by cancelled flights, with others facing delays or being unable to reach the airport due to road closures put in place by police as a safety measure.
Airports under attack
Iranian air strikes have targeted the UAE's two main airports, while airports in Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq have also come under attack.
Yvonne Ziegler, professor of business administration with a special focus on international aviation management at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, spoke of the importance of airports remaining operational to help stranded travellers to return home.
“I think the main reason [that airports remain operational] must be that they’re trying to make sure the tourists that have come to Dubai and Abu Dhabi are able to return to their home countries, because many tourists have been stranded.
“I’m sure the airlines have a reputation that can be easily lost if they [cannot carry] their customers that are stranded in their countries and worldwide.”
Evaluating risk
She said airlines and airports would only stay up-and-running in such challenging circumstances if they felt it safe to do so.
“The airlines have to evaluate very carefully what risk they’re occurring if they operate. I’m sure they will take no risk," she said.
“If they have routes that can be protected by air defence, then maybe there’s a certain assurance that nothing will happen.
“I don’t think they’re compromising safety. That would totally damage their reputation if something would happen. They very carefully evaluate and only operate if safety is not compromised.”
The incidents came as Iran continued to carry out strikes on Gulf nations.
UAE air defence systems intercepted six ballistic missiles and 21 drones launched from Iran on Monday, the Defence Ministry said.
Since the start of the Iranian attacks, UAE air defences have intercepted 304 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,627 drones, the ministry added.
Dubai Airport was the target of a strike last week that injured four people. Two Ghanaians and a Bangladeshi suffered minor injuries in the incident, while an Indian was moderately injured.
In Abu Dhabi last week, authorities said that a fire was caused by debris from intercepted missiles at the emirate's old airport.
The UAE has intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones since the US and Israel launched strike against Iran earlier this month.
Last week, the UN Security Council adopted a Bahrain-sponsored resolution condemning Iran’s attacks on the territories of several Gulf states.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said on Saturday said Iran's attacks on Gulf nations highlighted its “military failure, political isolation and lack of morality”.
