International flights were delayed or cancelled after heavy snow forced England's Manchester Airport to close. Reuters
International flights were delayed or cancelled after heavy snow forced England's Manchester Airport to close. Reuters
International flights were delayed or cancelled after heavy snow forced England's Manchester Airport to close. Reuters
International flights were delayed or cancelled after heavy snow forced England's Manchester Airport to close. Reuters

Dubai and Abu Dhabi flights disrupted after heavy snow closes UK airports


Nicky Harley
  • English
  • Arabic

International flights arriving and departing from UK airports have been cancelled or delayed after heavy snowfall forced runways to close.

On Monday, Manchester Airport was forced to temporarily close some of its runways, leading to flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi being delayed.

Departure boards showed delays to Etihad flights to Abu Dhabi which were scheduled to leave on Monday afternoon. Emirates flights arriving from Dubai, Egypt and Turkey were also facing disruption.

Heavy snow hit the UK on Sunday, leading to road, rail and airport closures. Severe weather warnings from the Met Office remained in place for large parts of the UK on Monday.

Sunday January 5 was the UK’s coldest night of the winter so far, with a temperature of -13.3ºC recorded in Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands, between Ullapool and Inverness.

The Environment Agency has issued 166 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 299 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, across England.

Staff used tractors to help clear snow from around aircraft after overnight snowfall caused the temporary closure of Manchester Airport in Manchester. REUTERS / Phil Noble
Staff used tractors to help clear snow from around aircraft after overnight snowfall caused the temporary closure of Manchester Airport in Manchester. REUTERS / Phil Noble

In Wales, there are three flood warnings and 34 flood alerts.

Major motorways and rail lines were forced to close and remained shut on Monday.

Manchester Airport said at 7.15am that its two runways had reopened, after reporting at 6.30am that they were closed because of “heavy snow”.

The brief closure has led to many flights to Europe being cancelled and international flights being delayed.

"Some departures and arrivals may still experience delays," Manchester Airport said.

Staff used tractors to clear snow from around aircraft.

The Met Office issued a yellow rain warning for Monday, while a separate warning for snow and ice covers much of northern England and North Wales.

Cold air will return and remain across the whole country from Monday onwards after a brief spell of milder conditions in southern areas, the Met Office said.

Liverpool's John Lennon Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport and Aberdeen Airport were also experiencing delays.

Dhadak 2

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Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

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How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Your Guide to the Home
  • Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
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Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Ronaldo's record at Man Utd

Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09

Appearances 230

Goals 115

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
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2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

The Cairo Statement

 1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations

2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred

3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC  

4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.

5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.

6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security

THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

Updated: January 06, 2025, 1:16 PM