Iranian drone strikes on Dubai International Airport have damaged at least two commercial airliners on the ground, as Gulf carriers keep flying—and thousands of passengers keep boarding—inside an active war zone.
An Emirates Airbus A380 and a Saudia Airbus A321 sustained damage during Iranian drone attacks on Dubai International Airport (DXB), sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal, marking a direct and documented toll on commercial aircraft from the ongoing 2026 Iran Crisis.
The extent of damage to either aircraft has not been disclosed. Emirates did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The first Iranian drone attack on Dubai International occurred on Feb. 28, one day after Israel and the United States launched their campaign against Iran. The most recent strike of note hit a fuel tank at the airport in the early hours of March 16. The precise date the A380 was damaged has not been made public, though multiple drone attacks on the airport have been recorded across that period.
A handful of private aircraft have also reportedly been damaged since hostilities began. Three planes sustained damage from interception debris at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) within the past week.
Even drone attacks that are successfully intercepted can damage aircraft on the ground. Falling debris from airborne interceptions poses a direct threat to parked planes, making the airport’s tarmac a hazard zone regardless of whether incoming weapons reach their intended targets.
The documented danger extends to aircraft in motion. A Wall Street Journal analysis found that roughly 40 passenger planes have continued to take off or land at Dubai International within five minutes of incoming drone alerts, putting thousands of travelers at risk. That figure does not account for the additional aircraft occupying high-risk airspace on approach to the airport at the time of those alerts.
The UAE faces a more acute threat than any of its neighbors. The country has experienced more than double the rate of drone and missile incidents compared to surrounding nations, according to available data. Its proximity to Iranian territory gives the UAE as little as two minutes of warning before a ballistic missile arrives and approximately 15 minutes before a drone strike, according to Osprey Flight Solutions.
Gulf carriers have implemented defensive measures to keep their networks operating. Special flight corridors have been established, and military fighter jets have been dispatched to escort commercial aircraft operating in and out of the region. Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways are among the carriers working to protect passengers flying through the conflict zone.
Emirates is currently operating at approximately 60% of its pre-conflict schedule. The airline has said it plans to restore operations to 100% as of March 29, though that timeline remains contingent on the security situation. Qatar Airways has taken a more conservative approach, sending a significant number of its aircraft into storage rather than continuing to operate at reduced capacity.
Dubai Airports Chief Executive Paul Griffiths said the systems deployed to detect and intercept incoming threats have so far proven “very, very effective and efficient.”
Since the outbreak of hostilities, more than one million passengers have transited UAE airports — a figure well below normal volumes for the same period, but a significant number given the conditions on the ground.
Key Takeaways
- An Emirates A380 and a Saudia A321 were damaged during Iranian drone attacks on Dubai International Airport, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal.
- Iranian strikes on DXB began Feb. 28; a fuel tank was hit as recently as March 16. Even intercepted drones generate falling debris capable of damaging parked aircraft.
- Roughly 40 passenger jets have taken off or landed at DXB within five minutes of drone alerts; the UAE has as little as two minutes’ warning before a ballistic missile strike.
- Emirates is operating at 60% capacity and targeting a full schedule restoration by March 29; Qatar Airways has moved aircraft into storage.
- Fighter jet escorts and special flight corridors are in place. More than one million passengers have traveled through UAE airports since hostilities began.
