Air India cancels Dubai flights due to operational disruptions at Dubai airport

Rain in Dubai: Air India announced the cancellation of its flights to and from Dubai on Friday, citing ongoing operational disruptions at the Emirates airport. Passengers with bookings for travel until April 21 will receive a one-time waiver for rescheduling and full refunds for cancellations.

An Air India spokesperson stated that the airline's decision to cancel the flights was prompted by continued operational challenges at Dubai airport. "We are endeavouring to assist affected customers by re-accommodating them on flights once operations resume," the spokesperson remarked in a statement.

Currently, Air India operates 72 weekly flights to Dubai from five Indian cities, with 32 flights originating from Delhi alone. The disruption at Dubai Airport, one of the world's busiest, is attributed to unprecedented rains and floods.

The Indian embassy in the UAE has advised inbound Indian passengers traveling to or transiting through Dubai International Airport to consider rescheduling non-essential travel until operations normalise. An advisory from the embassy highlighted that due to weather-related disruptions earlier in the week, Dubai International Airport has temporarily restricted the number of inbound flights.

(With PTI inputs)