Dubai airports and airlines are warning passengers to get ready for possible travel problems because of heavy rain and thunderstorms in the UAE. They advise travelers to expect traffic delays and think about using the Dubai Metro instead.
This news comes as the country prepares for unstable weather, which is expected to be most intense on May 2 and continue until May 3. The Khaleej Times reported that safety guidelines have been issued across different areas. Heavy rains have been falling across the country since midnight, with Dubai seeing showers and lightning as early as 2:35 am, as per alerts from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).
Indian airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Vistara have issued advisories for flights to and from Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi due to the expected bad weather, as reported by CNBCTV18. IndiGo posted on X, “Due to adverse weather conditions in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, our flight operations are impacted. Please keep a track of your flight status before leaving for the airport.” Vistara advised, “Due to the anticipated bad weather conditions from May 2 to 5, traffic congestion is expected enroute to Dubai Airport. Customers are advised to allow more time for their journey to the airport. Thank you.” SpiceJet urged passengers to check their flight status, warning of possible disruptions due to thunderstorms and rain in Dubai.
#6ETravelAdvisory: Due to adverse weather conditions in #Dubai #Sharjah & #AbuDhabi , our flight operations are impacted. Please keep a track of your flight status at https://t.co/TQCzzyjLr2 before leaving for the airport.— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) May 2, 2024
#TravelUpdate: Due to the anticipated bad weather conditions from May 2nd to May 5th, traffic congestion is expected enroute to Dubai Airport. Customers are advised to allow more time for their journey to the airport. Thank you.— Vistara (@airvistara) May 1, 2024
#WeatherUpdate: Due to bad weather (thunderstorms with rain) in Dubai (DXB), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via https://t.co/VkU7yLjZly.— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) May 2, 2024
HEAVIEST RAINS ON RECORD SINCE 1949
Although the upcoming rains are predicted to be milder compared to the heavy rain that recently affected the country, people are advised to stay cautious. On April 14-15, there was intense rainfall in parts of the Arabian Peninsula, notably in Dubai, where it was the heaviest since 1949. Due to the bad weather across the UAE, Emirates airline from Dubai had to cancel some flights on Thursday, and movements at Dubai International Airport (DXB) were limited.
Customers traveling to or from Dubai airport on May 2 might experience some delays due to flight rescheduling, Emirates announced. Several flights have been canceled for May 2, including those between Dubai and Istanbul, Dubai and Johannesburg, Dubai and Nairobi, Dubai and Cairo, Dubai and Amman, and Dubai and Singapore (with EK353 departing on May 3 at 12:30 am UAE time). To assist stranded passengers, the airline is waiving rebooking charges.
