MAPPED: 65 planes were diverted as a drone strike caused flight chaos at Dubai Airport once again

<ul>
<li>Dubai Airport briefly closed on Monday after a drone strike near the airport, causing flight chaos.</li>
<li>65 flights were diverted to 34 different airports, including 22 flights to nowhere.</li>
<li>Business Insider has mapped the disruption, which comes as Dubai attempts to return to normal.</li>
</ul>
<p>Scores of flights were forced to divert after a drone attack caused a fire near <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/drone-strike-dubai-airport-unleashed-fresh-travel-chaos-flights-diverted-2026-3">Dubai International Airport</a> early Monday.</p>
<p>Data from Flightradar24 showed 65 flights were diverted to 34 airports across Europe, Asia, and Africa.</p>
<p>22 of those were so-called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-conflict-triggers-2-of-longest-ever-flights-to-nowhere-2026-3">flights to nowhere</a>, where passengers ended up back at the airport from which they departed.</p>
<p>At 10 hours and 38 minutes, Emirates Flight 76 from Paris appeared to be the longest one.</p>
<p>The Airbus A380 took off from Charles de Gaulle Airport around 10:15 p.m. on Sunday night.</p>
<p>Nearly five hours later, it U-turned over the Saudi desert. It landed back in the French capital shortly before 9 a.m.</p>
<p>Other lengthy diversions included <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flight-chaos-iran-war-air-travel-ticket-price-cancellation-diversion-2026-3">Emirates flights</a> from Edinburgh, Dublin, and Manchester.</p>
<p>They all U-turned over Egypt and landed back at their origins about nine to 10 hours later.</p>
<p>Airplanes were also tracked returning to Johannesburg, Mumbai, and Uzbekistan.</p>
<p>Using Flightradar24's data, Business Insider created a map showing each airport to which flights bound for Dubai were diverted.</p>
<p>Seventeen of the 65 only ended up at Dubai World Center — the home of the city's airshow and some 30 miles away from Dubai International.</p>
<p>Another five landed in Abu Dhabi and Muscat, Oman, and four in Al Ain, UAE.</p>
<p>However, the map also shows the scope of operations in Dubai and how it has become a global aviation hub, connecting passengers from around the world.</p>
<p>A flight from Toronto was diverted to Rome, and another from Tokyo ended up in Karachi, Pakistan. Plus, a Boeing 777 from Dallas-Fort Worth landed in Milan.</p>
<p>Dubai International handled over 95 million passengers last year, making it the world's busiest for international passenger traffic, and the second-busiest overall.</p>
<p>Around 4:30 a.m. local time, Dubai's media office said that a "drone incident" near Dubai International affected a fuel tank.</p>
<p>The fire was contained, and no injuries were reported, it later added.</p>
<p>Flights in and out of the airport were suspended for about four and a half hours, according to statements from Dubai Airports.</p>
<p>Customers were told not to come to the airport unless they had been contacted directly by their airline with a confirmed departure time, because schedules remain subject to change.</p>
<p>British Airways and KLM, the Dutch flag carrier, last week announced they have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-canceling-middle-east-flight-routes-british-airways-iran-war-2026-3">canceled flights to Dubai</a> until at least March 28.</p>
<p>Monday's incident appeared to be the third time that a drone has struck near the airport.</p>
<p>The airport was evacuated on February 28, the day the war began. And four people were injured when two drones fell nearby last Wednesday.</p>