Bad weather : Thousands stranded at UAE airports, several flights cancelled

Bad weather : Thousands stranded at UAE airports, several flights cancelled

The fog that has taken over the country has ruined Christmas plans for many visitors, as dozens of flights got delayed or cancelled due to the current weather conditions, on Sunday.

Thousands of passengers were stranded for hours at the Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports, while scores had to spend the night at international airports as inbound flights to the UAE also got affected by the bad weather.

As many as 26 flydubai flights and 10 Emirates flights were cancelled in Dubai alone. A total of 53 inbound flights to Dubai International Airport were diverted due to the fog on Sunday morning.

“I was supposed to be home by now and celebrating Christmas with my parents. Now, I am stuck here at the airport for the last 15 hours without food, and unable to even take a shower,” Desiree Bester, a Filipino passenger, told .

Shilpa, another passenger, said it was utter chaos at Terminal 2 in Dubai on Sunday morning. “I was stranded for five hours as my flight to Oman got delayed. We did not even get anything to eat as food outlets ran out of burgers and sandwiches.”

Flights cancelled

More than 26 flydubai flights were cancelled on Sunday, the airline announced. Ten flights were cancelled on Saturday and the airline said more cancellations and disruptions are expected till Monday.

“The foggy weather conditions in Dubai have delayed flights and caused some cancellations. We are continuing to monitor the weather conditions. If you are travelling from Dubai, please note that the journey time to the airport may take longer and please check the status of your flight before you set out for the airport: flydub.ai/fltstat,” said the airline in a Facebook post.

Emirates Airlines announced that it cancelled 10 flights. “We are working with airlines and other stakeholders to normalise operations as quickly as possible,” said the airline in a statement.

A Dubai Airports’ spokesperson said normal operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) have been disrupted on Sunday morning due to the weather conditions.

“A total of 53 inbound flights were diverted to neighbouring airports, including to Dubai World Central (DWC). Dubai Airports is working with airlines and other stakeholders to ensure the comfort of our customers and normalise operations as quickly as possible,” said the spokesperson.

The fog has engulfed most of the country since Friday, and intensified overnight as relative humidity soared to 95 per cent amid cold winter weather.

Abu Dhabi was not as affected as Dubai, as the fog cleared up in the emirate by morning.

Etihad Airways reported no flight delays on Sunday after poor weather conditions overnight. “However, due to the heavy fog forecast in Abu Dhabi over the next few days, Etihad Airways anticipates some flight delays and cancellations. As a consequence, some return flights into Abu Dhabi are also expected to face disruption,” the airline said in a statement.

Fog to continue until Tuesday

Airlines have warned passengers to check their flights schedules in the coming days as the National Centre for Meteorology has predicted dense fog will smother parts of the UAE till Tuesday.

“There will be dense fog and the visibility is expected to reduce to 50 metres. The fog is expected to prevail till Monday morning and continue till after 11am,” said a forecaster.