Air India Express cuts flights to Dubai after heavy rainfall

Heavy rains in Dubai have forced Air India Express to reduce its flights to the city by 50 per cent. The airline says it is following instructions from Dubai Airport Authority and is working to get back to its normal schedule of 84 weekly flights as soon as possible.

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Air India Express announced, “In adherence to the instructions issued by Dubai Airport Authority, we have adjusted our flight operations to and from Dubai to continue with the maximum permissible reduced capacity of 50 per cent of our schedule.”

Dubai Airports spokesperson on April 19, in a press statement, said, “Dubai Airports is endeavouring to do its best to support passengers at Dubai International (DXB) impacted by travel delays due to the recent unprecedented weather conditions the UAE experienced. However, due to the ongoing disruption and to assist the effectiveness of recovery, DXB is temporarily limiting the number of inbound flights from 12:00 PM, 19 April for 48 hours. Departures will continue to operate.”

The airline attributed the reduced service to heavy rainfall in Dubai. They are “closely monitoring developments and eagerly await the necessary permissions to return to our scheduled operations of 84 weekly flights connecting Dubai and various cities in India.”

Air India Express apologises for any inconvenience caused and said passengers affected by the cancellations can rebook their flights for free or get a full refund.

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Air India Express apologised for any inconvenience caused by “circumstances beyond our control” and offered affected passengers “the option of complimentary rescheduling or a full refund.”