KQ, airlines cancel flights as severe weather hits Dubai

Kenya Airways has cancelled passenger flights in and out of Dubai following severe weather and ongoing floods in the Middle East nation.

The carrier in a statement Wednesday said the first flight into and out of Dubai was cancelled on Tuesday, while one more flight was cancelled today.

“We are monitoring the situation and are in close contact with Dubai authorities to minimise the inconvenience and disruption to our customers’ travels,” read the statement.

While apologising to its customers for the inconvenience caused, KQ, as the airline is known by its international code, advised affected passengers to contact its customer support lines for help.

The airline flies to Dubai from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) two times daily. It also flies to Dubai from Mombasa three times a week. The Mombasa-Dubai flights started in December 2022.

Unprecedented rainfall

The airline is suspending flights to Dubai on a day authorities and communities across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were clearing debris after a torrential downpour that killed at least one person and caused damage to homes and businesses.

The UAE witnessed a record rainfall with 254mm falling in Al Ain city on Tuesday in less than 24 hours, the most since records began in 1949, according to its National Meteorology Centre.

Highways were clogged with floodwaters and videos showed cars submerged on gridlocked motorways and planes leaving waves in their wake as they taxied down flooded runways in Dubai. The authorities urged passengers to stay away from the airport.

The severe weather in the Middle East nation and its neighbouring countries has resulted in the cancellation of dozens of flights by carriers across the globe.

As many as 28 India-Dubai flights have been cancelled due to the Dubai floods. UAE flag carrier Emirates also suspended check-in for flights departing from Dubai International Airport on Wednesday.