The ‘flights to nowhere’ that turned back at the same time after several hours

Passengers on an Emirates flight from Edinburgh to Dubai endured a miserable night on a ‘flight to nowhere’ and found themselves back in the Scottish capital nine hours after departure.

The flight turned around as it approached the Egyptian coastline following the suspension of air traffic at Dubai International Airport (DXB) on Monday morning.

The airport – one of the world’s busiest – halted operations at around 5.34am local time (1.34am GMT) after a drone struck a fuel tank, starting a fire near the terminal building.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said the fire was quickly contained and no injuries were reported.

Flights have since resumed, but scores were forced to divert.

FlightRadar24 showed 65 planes rerouting to 34 airports across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

And for passengers on flight UAE24, it meant a long journey home without even touching down.

Data from flight tracking site FlightAware shows the Airbus A350-900 departed Edinburgh at 9.26pm on Sunday evening local time ahead of what should have been a seven-hour and 55-minute flight to the global business hub.

However, around four hours into the journey, it turned around above Alexandria in northern Egypt and flew back to Edinburgh.

According to FlightAware, the distance travelled was 4,872 miles.

A total of six Emirates flights from UK airports were en route to Dubai when news of the closure emerged.

One inbound flight from Heathrow, Emirates flight EK30, diverted to Dubai World Central – the second airport serving the city.

Two flights from Heathrow, and one each from Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh, turned around and flew back to their starting points.

Other lengthy diversions included Emirates flights from Paris and Dublin.

In normal times, Dubai is one of the world’s most visited cities. More than 19.5 million people visited in 2025 to see its skyscrapers, relax on the beach or stay in some of the world’s most luxurious hotels.

However, Dubai’s location, across the Gulf from Iran, as well as its many places of US interest, mean it has been hit by several strikes since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.

Skyscrapers, private apartment complexes and luxury hotels including the iconic Burj Al-Arab have been hit by missiles and debris from interceptions.

And with rockets flying across the region, some feel little sympathy for anyone who chooses to fly there right now.

On Facebook and Instagram, people were unforgiving, with many asking why you would fly for either business or pleasure when ‘there is a war going on’.

The UK Foreign Office currently advises against al but essential travel to the UAE.

Are passengers entitled to compensation or a refund?

Under passengers’ rights rules, travellers are entitled to be flown to their destination as soon as possible on any airline with available seats.

But with a sharply reduced schedule of flights between the UK and the Middle East, rebooking the thousands of passengers affected will be difficult.

Dubai international airport (DXB) has now reopened with a reduced service.

The impact of another night of drone strikes is sure to be felt well into this week.

The UK Foreign Office continues to warn against all but essential travel to the UAE amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

It also advises against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.

For the latest advice on the UAE, read our travel advisory here.