Planes are parked at Terminal 3 of the Dubai International Airport, following the United States and Israel strikes on Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 2, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS
As Emirates flight EK10 from London cruised over Saudi Arabia on Monday, news broke of a drone strike at its destination, Dubai. The aircraft turned back to Gatwick, flight data showed, completing a 9,100 km round trip — one of dozens of “flights to nowhere” triggered by the Middle East war.
Around 30 Emirates flights heading to Dubai International were also ordered back or rerouted after Iranian drone attacks temporarily shut what is normally the world’s busiest airport for international passengers.
Supposed to wake up in Dubai
Passengers expecting a dawn landing in the United Arab Emirates’ commercial hub were left stunned.
“Was supposed to wake up on approach to Dubai,” one passenger wrote on social media, sharing a map of flight EK164 turning around near Cairo and heading back to Dublin.
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Iran crisis: Flights to nowhere
The sudden U-turns — dubbed “flights to nowhere” online — have emerged as one of the most visible disruptions to aviation since the US-Israeli conflict with Iran began on February 28, alongside soaring fuel costs, stranded travellers and rerouted flights.
Emirates confirmed some flights returned to their origin airports or nearby hubs, but did not provide further details. The conflict initially shut large parts of Gulf airspace, reducing regional traffic to near zero.
Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and flydubai have since restored many services, though intermittent drone and missile alerts continue to trigger sudden diversions. The UAE briefly closed its airspace again on Tuesday.
Marathon flights and detours
Between 0140 and 0200 GMT on Monday, multiple Emirates flights from Europe and India turned back mid-air over Saudi Arabia or the Arabian Sea, according to flight tracking data.
One London service that typically reaches Dubai in under seven hours returned after more than 11 hours, while others diverted back to Madrid, Lisbon and Paris. Several flights close to arrival were forced into long detours. Aircraft from New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and Moscow were rerouted to Cairo, Karachi, Dhaka and Islamabad.
Two flights from Dallas and Toronto diverted to Italy, while planes from Lusaka, Dhaka and Johannesburg stopped at intermediate airports or returned to origin. Emirates flight EK9875 from Shanghai eventually reached Dubai after a 20-hour, 11,000 km journey, including a stop in Bangladesh.
Thousands of flights cancelled
Emirates has shifted dozens of services from Dubai International to alternative airports including Dubai World Central, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Muscat, as well as regional hubs such as Jeddah, Cairo and Medina.
Since February 28, Emirates has cancelled more than 2,000 flights — about 54% of scheduled services, according to Cirium data. Cancellation rates stood at 93% for Qatar Airways and 79% for Etihad. In total, around 30,000 flights to and from Middle East airports have been cancelled as of March 17.
