Top Shot – Smoke billows from an ongoing fire at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, March 16, 2026. Dubai Airport, previously the world’s busiest airport for international flights, gradually resumed operations on March 16 after a “drone-related incident” caused a fire in a nearby fuel tank as Iran continued its Gulf attacks, the airport operator said. (Photo credit: AFP via Getty Images) /
– | AFP | Getty Images
Dubai International Airport resumed a “limited” flight schedule on Monday morning after a drone attack attacked the airport’s fuel depot and caused a fire.
“We will be operating a limited schedule from 10am local time in Dubai today. Unfortunately, some flights on today’s schedule have been cancelled,” Emirates said in a statement published on X.
The impact on flights followed what the Dubai Media Office said was a “drone incident near Dubai International Airport” that “impacted one of the fuel tanks.” The Dubai Media Office also confirmed to X that no injuries were reported.
This strike is the fourth drone-related incident to occur at Dubai Airport. Each incident resulted in a brief grounding of the plane and several injuries were reported.
Fire breaks out at Dubai International Airport after drone attack
CNBC
Dubai Airport handles more than 90 million passengers annually and ranks as the busiest airport in the world for international traffic.
CNBC has contacted Dubai Airports for comment.
