UAE Authorities Announce Lifting of Flight Ban and Restoration of Air Traffic

DUBAI - The General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates (GCAA) announced the full resumption of air traffic operations in the country starting Saturday.

The authority said the temporary measures imposed due to the start of the Iran war had been lifted, in a statement shared by state news agency WAM.

"The decision was taken after a comprehensive evaluation of operational and security conditions and in coordination with the relevant authorities," the aviation authority said, launching The National (4/5).

"Continuous real-time monitoring is still being carried out to ensure the highest level of flight safety," he added.

Previously, the closure of airspace and restrictions on air travel were imposed as a safety measure, after Iran launched its attack on the UAE and other Gulf countries on February 28.

The attacks, which targeted facilities linked to the United States, followed US and Israeli strikes on Tehran and a number of Iranian cities that killed more than 3,400 people, including the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Both Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport were targeted by drone strikes during the conflict.

The UAE has not faced further missile and drone attacks since a conditional ceasefire came into effect on April 8.

"The authority expresses its appreciation for the cooperation of passengers and airlines during the prevention period and confirms the readiness of its technical and operational teams to respond to any incident," he said.

Meanwhile, air travel in the Gulf has increased along with the ceasefire between the US and Iran, which continues to bring relief to the region.

Emirates has increased its operations to 80 percent of pre-war capacity, and Etihad is around 75 percent. And although some international airlines have suspended flights to the region, many are continuing operations.