Passengers on the Emirates EK20 flight returned and landed back in Manchester 10 hours after taking off
Flights were stopped from landing at Dubai Airport(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
An Emirates flight which took off from Manchester Airport and hoping to land in Dubai was redirected back to Manchester mid-flight.
Passengers on board the Emirates A380 flight to Dubai on Sunday (March 15) returned to Manchester sooner than expected when mid-flight the aircraft had to turn back around.
After the EK20 flight was scheduled to take off at 8:40pm, passengers eventually flew at 9:20pm and made their way on an overnight flight to Dubai.
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However, according to FlightStats, the flight was diverted back to Manchester in the early hours of the morning meaning passengers were mid-flight. It appears that after flying over Cairo, Egypt the aircraft received the news that Dubai Airport (DXB) was shut and not accepting any flights to land there.
It’s been confirmed that a drone strike near the airfield led to this decision and the crew opted to return to Manchester where they landed at around 7am.
Emirates EK20 flight diverted back to Manchester(Image: FlightRadar24)
Dubai authorities shut its airport earlier with flights suspended after a drone struck a fuel tank and started a fire. Emirates told passengers to avoid going to Dubai International Airport on Monday morning after flights were impacted by the strike.
Although the blaze was successfully contained and no injuries reported, local aviation authorities have halted operations as a precaution.
Many Emirates flights already in the air were diverted, while others waiting to take off were cancelled. Five flights from UK airports, including Manchester, returned to their points of origin. All seven Emirates flights from Dubai to London Heathrow on Monday were cancelled.
On Monday (March 16), Dubai Airports took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to issue an update on flights. They penned: “Flights to and from DXB are gradually resuming to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure. Please check with your airlines for the latest updates regarding your flights.”
Dubai Media Office added: “Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announces the gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International Airport to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights.”