Transportation

UAE Reopens Airspace After Brief Shutdown Amid Iran Strikes

An Emirates aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport on March 16.Source: AFP/Getty Images

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By Leen Al-Rashdan

March 16, 2026 at 11:58 PM UTC

Updated on

March 17, 2026 at 1:24 AM UTC

The United Arab Emirates reopened its airspace early Tuesday morning after the Gulf nation fully shut down air traffic as it intercepted drones and missiles.

The General Civil Aviation Authority said air traffic operations have returned to normal. It had closed the UAE’s airspace around two hours earlier as an “exceptional precautionary measure” aimed at ensuring the safety of flights and air crews and safeguarding the country’s territory, the WAM news service reported.