LONDON: Thick fog caused widespread disruption at airports in the UAE yesterday, with Emirates and Saudi among the carriers hit by the delays.
Dozens of flights were canceled or delayed at airports in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, with others diverted as visibility to less than 100 meters.
It came as thousands of people were preparing to fly out to celebrate the holiday period at home while others were due to arrive to enjoy a country that many holidaymakers associate more with sun than fog.
“Normal operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been disrupted this morning as result of weather conditions. A total of 53 inbound flights were diverted to neighboring airports, including to Dubai World Central,” Dubai Airports said in a statement to Arab News. “Dubai Airports is working with airlines and other stakeholders to ensure the comfort of our customers and normalize operations as quickly as possible.”
The disruption extended to the evening with flights due to depart to Riyadh at 4 p.m. operated by Saudia and Nasair, still showing as delayed on airport information screens
Carriers including Dubai-based Emirates and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, apologized to customers for the delays and urged them to check their flight status before starting their journeys.
Dubai International Airport is one of the world’s busiest and a major hub for long haul travel, which means that yesterday’s fog caused knock-on delays for many passengers.
Some travelers took to social media to vent their frustration.
“Shouldn’t blame the fog, but stuck here in Dubai airport and looks like it will be for longer as haven’t heard any update yet! Will miss my connection in Paris! Not happy before Xmas,” tweeted Gracie.
The situation at the airport improved by late afternoon with Saudia telling customers that services were back to normal .
Police in the UAE also warned drivers to be extremely cautious after a spate of accidents on the country’s roads.
Fog turns festive cheer to misery in Dubai
Fog turns festive cheer to misery in Dubai
