An Emirates Airbus A380Pól Ó Conghaile: Would I be mad to book a trip to Australia or Asia now? Flights leaving Dubai show a very different pattern, as many people depart the city on the reduced number of planes available. On Monday, Emirates suspended operations for more than seven hours following a fuel-tank fire at Dubai International Airport caused by a drone incident. At the same time, some Emirates aircraft remain out of position in Europe and China. Traffic out of London Heathrow has fared slightly better, with about 20pc of tickets sold, though well below the near-full occupancy Emirates typically enjoys on its dozen daily services from the UK capital.

Source: Irish Independent March 18, 2026 11:58 UTC