Dubai Airports CEO Assures Full Operational Status

DALLAS — Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths has reassured the public that Dubai International Airport (DXB) is "100% operational" after major floods. DXB is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic.

Despite the ongoing scramble to restore normalcy, Griffiths emphasized that DXB is on the right track to achieve this goal, even though it may take some time. He further acknowledged that the situation was unprecedented, with a substantial number of people being displaced.

According to a recent report by Josh Corder from Skift, the airport has experienced over 1,200 flight cancellations and 40 diversions due to a significant flash flood that brought the city to a standstill earlier this week.

To alleviate the strain at the airport, Dubai authorities have decided to prioritize departing flights over arrivals. Griffiths explained that the focus is on improving the departure flow rate as a means of reducing the number of people on the ground.

Additionally, passengers have been advised not to arrive at the airport excessively early, with a recommended arrival time of approximately two hours before departure. This measure aims to prevent overcrowding in the already busy terminals.

Resumed Operations, Misleading Social Media

While check-ins for Emirates (EK) and Flydubai (FZ) have resumed, the main Terminal 3 remains congested due to flight cancellations and extensive delays. In response to this situation, Dubai International Airport has advised passengers to only proceed to Terminal 3 if they have received confirmation from their respective airlines regarding their flight departures.

Emirates, one of the major airlines operating at the airport, has taken further steps to manage the situation. Passengers traveling on connecting flights through Dubai or arriving in Dubai before April 19, 11:59 PM GMT, have been instructed to turn back.

The airline has suspended check-ins for these customers until the specified time, allowing them to proceed only if their flight departs after 23:59 GMT, April 19. However, passengers already in transit in Dubai, with Dubai as their final destination, or departing from Dubai can continue with the check-in and travel process as usual.

Griffiths also addressed the issue of misleading information circulating on social media platforms. He stated that some of the content shared on social media has been misleading in terms of portraying the severity of the flood. He urged passengers to rely on DXB's official channels as the "source of truth" to obtain accurate and reliable information.

One of the challenges highlighted was that some individuals reported difficulties in contacting airlines directly. To address this, the airport is actively working on improving communication efforts to ensure that passengers have access to the correct information during this challenging time.

However, airlines have made public statements saying they have had to adapt their operations to and from Dubai. Air India Express (IX) said it adjusted its flight operations in compliance with the Dubai Airport Authority. The airline is currently operating at a reduced capacity of 50% of its scheduled flights in adherence to the maximum permissible limit.