An Emirates flight travelling from Manchester to Dubai was forced to turn back mid-air after Dubai International Airport temporarily shut down following a drone strike that triggered a fire near the airfield.
The aircraft, operating as Emirates flight EK20, had departed Manchester Airport on the evening of Sunday, March 15, heading for Dubai on an overnight journey. Instead of landing in the Middle East, passengers unexpectedly returned to the UK roughly 10 hours after take-off.
Manchester flight turned around during overnight journey
The EK20 service had originally been scheduled to depart Manchester at 8:40pm, but the aircraft eventually left at around 9:20pm. The Airbus A380 continued its long-haul route across Europe and North Africa during the night.
Flight tracking data later showed the aircraft had travelled as far as the region near Cairo, Egypt when the crew received notification that Dubai International Airport (DXB) had suspended incoming flights.
With the airport closed to arrivals, the pilots made the decision to turn the aircraft around and return to its departure airport. According to aviation tracking information from FlightRadar24, the aircraft eventually landed back in Manchester at around 7am on Monday, March 16.
Drone strike sparked fire near Dubai airport
The disruption followed reports that a drone strike hit a fuel tank close to the airfield, causing a fire that was visible near the airport perimeter.
Emergency teams were able to contain the blaze quickly and authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported. However, aviation officials suspended airport operations temporarily as a precaution while safety checks were carried out.
The closure came amid wider regional tensions after reports of Iran-linked strikes in the region, prompting authorities to take immediate safety measures affecting international flights.
Multiple flights diverted or cancelled
The temporary shutdown created disruption across several international routes. A number of Emirates flights already airborne were diverted to alternative airports or returned to their points of origin.
Reports indicated that five Emirates flights from UK airports, including Manchester, were forced to return to where they had departed. Meanwhile, all seven Emirates flights scheduled to depart Dubai for London Heathrow on Monday were cancelled during the disruption.
Airport operations slowly restarting
Dubai Airports later confirmed that operations were gradually being restored after the temporary suspension.
In an update, officials said flights to and from Dubai International Airport were beginning to resume to selected destinations, although passengers were advised to check directly with their airlines for the latest travel information.
The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority also confirmed that services would restart in stages as safety checks continued across the airport.
For passengers aboard EK20, the unexpected turnaround meant their overnight journey ended exactly where it began — back in Manchester — while travellers awaited further updates on when flights to Dubai would fully resume.
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