Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates and sister airline flydubai have successfully restored normal operations after heavy rains wreaked havoc across the United Arab Emirates earlier this week. Emirates President Tim Clark confirmed that the airlines have resumed full flight schedules, marking a return to stability following significant weather-related disruptions.
Emirates faced extensive flight cancellations and delays, with nearly 400 flights affected by the record storm that struck Dubai on Tuesday. The adverse weather conditions forced the airline to suspend check-in services and transit operations at Dubai International Airport, a key global travel hub, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
In response to the disruption, Emirates provided essential support to affected customers, including 12,000 hotel accommodations and 250,000 meal vouchers. Despite these efforts, Clark acknowledged that it will take several days to clear the backlog of rebooked passengers.
The impact of the flooding extended beyond air travel, with roads connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi still partially submerged as of Saturday. In Abu Dhabi, supply chain disruptions resulted in shortages at supermarkets and restaurants, highlighting the widespread consequences of the extreme weather event.
Researchers attribute such extreme weather occurrences to climate change, predicting that rising global temperatures and increased humidity will heighten the risk of flooding in the Gulf region. The UAE’s vulnerability to flooding underscores the urgent need for enhanced drainage infrastructure to mitigate future risks associated with severe weather events.
With this, airplanes have resumed operations and it appears the storm will be over soon. Researchers have also contributed to the hazard, arguing the fact that cloud seeding couldn’t have been the cause of the heavy and thunderous rainfall.