The closure affected a total of 71 flights, of which 36 flights – that were ex-Dubai – were cancelled while 35 incoming flights were diverted to airports in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, and Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, and to Muscat (Oman), Kuwait and Shiraz (Iran). Less than 20 minutes after returning to normal, Dubai International Airport received its first flight, an Emirates airline flight from Islamabad, Pakistan.

“Safety of passengers is our first and most important priority and I am glad it all ended relatively well. The closure of the runway for eight hours was primarily to inspect its condition and ensure that operations could be resumed. We are operational at full capacity but passengers should check with their respective airlines to confirm the status of their flights,” Huraiz Bin Huraiz, DCA spokesperson said.

Flight BG 006 from Dubai to Dhaka carrying 229 passengers and crew, had an accident during departure and failed to take off. A total of 27 passengers sustained minor injuries which were attended to immediately by the emergency medical team at the airport. Only one injured passenger was taken to Trauma Centre at Rashid Hospital, and was discharged by afternoon.

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and DCA are investigating the cause of the accident.