Dubai rain: Indian embassy in UAE issues fresh advisory for passengers amid flooding
The Indian embassy in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, April 19, advised Indian passengers travelling to or transiting through Dubai International Airport to reschedule non-essential travel till operations normalise after the desert city witnessed unprecedented flooding following heavy rain this week.
Dubai, a city proud of its modern gloss, is facing the towering task of clearing its water-logged roads and drying out flooded homes two days after a record storm saw a year’s rainfall in a day.
Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, struggled to clear a backlog of flights and many roads were still flooded in the aftermath of Tuesday’s deluge.
The embassy in the advisory said while the UAE authorities were working round the clock to ensure normalisation of operations, the airport authorities have advised that passengers may travel to the airport “only after” final confirmation from the respective airlines regarding the departure date and time of flights.
The advisory added that due to disruption caused by unprecedented weather conditions in the UAE earlier this week, the Dubai International Airport has temporarily limited the number of inbound flights.
Dubai International Airport hoped to be back on a normal schedule within 24 hours.
“Inbound Indian passengers travelling to or transiting through Dubai International Airport are advised to reschedule non-essential travel till operations normalise,” the statement said.
“To assist Indian nationals at the Dubai International Airport, the Consulate General of India in Dubai has operationalised emergency helpline numbers which have been functional since April 17,” the statement added.
Air India cancels flight to and from Dubai
India has announced the cancellation of its flights to and from Dubai due to operational disruptions amid incessant rainfall. The airline said on Friday that it was trying to accommodate affected customers on flights as soon as operations resumed.
It added that those customers who booked the flights with valid tickets for travel till April 21 will be given a one-time waiver on rescheduling and full refunds for cancellation.
“We regret to inform cancellation of its flights to and from Dubai due to continued operational disruptions at Dubai Airport. We are doing our best to get affected customers on their way by re-accommodating them on flights as soon as operations resume. Customers booked on our flights with valid tickets for travel till 21st April 2024 will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling and full refunds for cancellation,” the Air India posted on social media platform X.