Emirates has suspended check-in worldwide for passengers who were due to transit through Dubai until 3:59 am (UAE time) on Saturday at the earliest as the airline struggles to recover from the aftereffects of historic rainfall that caused widespread flooding across Dubai.
Until now, the embattled airline had been prioritising transit passengers after it suspended all check-in services for passengers departing Dubai, but Emirates reopened check-in in Dubai yesterday in what was meant to be a sign of the airline’s operations returning to normal.
Instead, Emirates has now taken the surprise decision to turn away all passengers anywhere in their network who were planning to connect through Dubai. This is because the airside departures area of Dubai International Airport (DXB) is said to be so crowded with passengers who have been stranded for days.
In a statement, the airline said: “Emirates is suspending check‑in for all customers in our network travelling with onward connections through Dubai until 2359hrs [GMT] on 19 April. This is to support operations recovery from the recent bad weather at our Dubai hub.”
“Passengers already in Dubai and in transit will continue to be processed for their flights,” the statement continued.
Passengers who are ending their journey in Dubai will also be able to check in as normal, although Emirates has warned of the potential for delays and cancellations for the next few days.
“We’re experiencing huge volumes of calls at the moment and we apologise if you can’t get through right away. We’re doing everything we can to help you with your travel plans,” the statement from the beleaguered Dubai flag carrier continued.
“Emirates extends our sincerest apologies to impacted customers who have experienced delays and disruption to their travel plans. We appreciate how difficult it is for everyone affected.”
On Thursday night, Dubai International Airport (DXB) suddenly announced it was closed to all arrivals from any airline apart from Emirates and flydubai, with many foreign carriers forced to divert their Dubai-bound flights to nearby airports, including Doha and Kuwait.
The airport also warned passengers that it is dealing with a massive backlog of baggage due to ‘resource constraints’ with pictures shared on social media showing thousands of bags lined up throughout the airport with nowhere to go.
In response to criticism that the airport failed to provide stranded passengers with food, water and other amenities, a spokesperson for the airline said: “We have been providing necessary assistance and amenities to affected guests, but due to road blockages, it’s taken longer than we would have liked.”
Okay but where is the transit station now?