Dubai-Dublin Flight Resumes: First Since Middle East Conflict

The first flight from Dubai in nearly five days landed at Dublin Airport just before 11 p.m. on Thursday, bringing relief to passengers stranded in the Middle East amid ongoing conflict. Emirates flight EK163 carried 368 passengers, many of whom were transiting through Ireland to other European destinations.

Flights Resume After Middle East Airspace Closures

Passengers on the flight had been in the United Arab Emirates since last Saturday, coinciding with the escalation of conflict between Iran and the US and Israel. Widespread airspace closures in the Middle East caused major disruption to travel plans.

Further direct flights from the Middle East are scheduled to land in Dublin on Thursday, and a Government-chartered plane is expected to arrive from Oman later this week.

Some passengers were visibly emotional upon arrival, while others recounted experiences of alarms and witnessing missile trails in Dubai, including near the Fairmont The Palm Hotel and the airport.

Anna Callaghan from Donegal was surprised by her mother Patricia, who traveled from the northwest to Dublin to greet her. “My mum’s come all the way from Donegal, that’s why I’m a little overwhelmed, I live in Dublin so I wasn’t expecting to see her,” she said.

Callaghan described the situation as stressful and frightening. “We were seeing and hearing bangs and explosions, last night in particular it was jet after jet after jet going overhead, and then we heard the US consulate was hit and that really scared everyone,” she said. “This is my fourth flight that I rebooked and I didn’t think I was going to get out.”

Elaine Gleeson from Limerick surprised her sister, Norita Geary, with balloons and flowers. “Everyone clapped when the plane landed, and cheered, it was just magic,” Geary said. “I didn’t expect to see her [Elaine] because I told her I was getting a lift home,” she added, hugging her sister. “Dublin is the most beautiful city in the world.”

Gina Quinn from Dublin described hearing a national alarm during the night. “It was very frightening, you just didn’t know and getting information on when you might be able to fly home was nigh impossible, the airlines were great but they were inundated,” she said.

They’re home!

The first flight from Dubai in almost 5 days – @emirates EK163 – arrived into Dublin Airport just before 11pm, bringing more than 368 passengers back to Ireland. pic.twitter.com/lMIKtwMtSx

— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) March 4, 2026

Rob McClean from Greystones, who was transiting through from India, expressed relief at being in Dublin. “I was in the airport on Saturday night when the explosion happened so we were evacuated from there which was pretty tough,” he said. “It’s been nerve-wracking for my family.”

Jimmy O’Connor from Longford had been traveling home from Australia, after visiting his daughter in Sydney, when he became stranded in Dubai. “We didn’t think it would be such a long journey home, but we’re back now safe and sound,” he said.

The flight also carried passengers from across Europe seeking to leave the Middle East. Alex Anderson, a French-American resident of Germany, described “huge relief” and said the landing in Dublin was emotional. He recounted seeing missile trails while in flight.

“It was really difficult, I was a transfer passenger. I was supposed to be going on to Frankfurt on February 28th, when we actually saw the missile trails, but we didn’t know what it was then, just thought it was planes,” he said. “It was really shocking when we landed and found out what had happened. I moved as quickly as I could out of the terminal building, and an hour later it got hit. Then there was the long wait of days, hearing thumps, anti-missile stuff, that was nerve-wracking. They definitely had a lot of drones coming over.” He added, “It’s a huge relief to land in Ireland, and a bit emotional. Tomorrow morning I’ll fly back home to my wife and kids in Frankfurt.”

Dave and Gina Salt from Stoke on Trent in the UK described their experience in Dubai as “scary, sometimes hearing explosions.” Dave Salt added that this was their fourth attempt to depart Dubai.

Andy Barnes from Hertfordshire and Andy Teasdale from Cumbria said they had spent time in hotel basements in Dubai since their flight was cancelled on Saturday, describing the situation around the marina as “pretty hairy.”

“We were at the airport from 3.30am There were no flights available but we went on the waiting list and ended up getting on the last flight out,” they said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee stated that a second direct flight from the Middle East to Dublin is planned for Thursday. She confirmed she is “in constant engagement with the airlines to see how many direct flights we can get to Dublin” and that a Government-chartered plane will depart from the Middle East “later this week.” The Government estimates that between 22,000 and 23,000 Irish citizens are currently in the Middle East region.

For those seeking to return to Ireland, McEntee said commercial flights remain the quickest option. “For most people in the UAE, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the quickest way home for them is to get a commercial flight,” she said. “The airlines themselves are directly going through their own passenger list, and they’re trying to get as many of those who are caught in transit, those who are on holidays, on those flights and home.”