Dubai International Airport terminals are reportedly jam packed with a large number of people trying to leave the country as the situation keeps worsening in the region, according to reports on Wednesday.
In several videos that went viral all over social media, it can be seen that a huge crowd of people is present at the airport terminals. However, many netizens have claimed that the video is fake or old, which is resurfacing.
Meanwhile Dubai airport departures ✈️ pic.twitter.com/zG24njd2pN
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) March 11, 2026
Prior to this, in the day, two drones fell near Dubai’s main airport, and Bahrain evacuated some planes.
BREAKING: Chaos at Dubai International Airport as terminals are reportedly packed “like a tuna can,” with thousands of passengers scrambling to leave the country amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/mY5ZtSSCa7
— THE GROUND CHECK (@groundcheck360) March 11, 2026
According to Reuters, Bahrain’s Civil Aviation Affairs said that several Gulf Air aircraft, without passengers, and some cargo aircraft, were relocated to alternative airports to “ensure the continuity and efficiency of air operations” during the crisis.
The ongoing United States (US), Israel and Iran tensions have led to the hampering of multiple flights across the world. Many flights have been rescheduled, some have been cancelled, and others have been rerouted.
Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport is the primary international airport serving Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is also known as the world’s busiest airport by international passenger traffic as of 2024.
Planes fly through the UAE via Safe Air Corridor
Flights to the UAE have been flying via what the aviation specialists call the Safe Air Corridor.
These corridors let the aircraft travel through designated sections of airspace that have been assessed as secure enough to maintain limited flight operations.
According to the reports, this system has been activated after decisions by regional aviation authorities.
“The capacity as of today, based on the emergency routes available, is 48 flights per hour with a possibility of increasing this figure at a later stage, according to the latest development and security ratings and measures,” the minister said, according to international media reports.
It was further confirmed that the routes can currently accommodate 48 aircraft movements per hour.
This means a controlled pathway for airlines for flights is still present.
Dubai International Airport: latest flight updates
Some regional connections, like the Air Sial flight to Lahore (PF 787) and the Aeroflot service to Moscow (SU 521) departed on time from Terminal 1. Other major routes are facing significant scheduling changes.
Emirates experienced several notable delays. Flights to Mumbai (EK 508), Jeddah (EK 803), and London Gatwick (EK 069) were all behind their original schedules.
The Gatwick flight saw the longest delay of 90 minutes.
