Is the UAE airspace closed? Latest update after it suddenly shut due to 'exceptional precautionary measure'

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said earlier that the move was only temporary amid rapidly shifting security developments in the area amid incoming threats from Iran.

The UAE's airspace is critical for global aviation, serving as a corridor that connects Europe, Africa and Asia.

Air traffic operations have now returned to normal as the UAE has since re-opened its airspace.  

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said air navigation had returned to normal across the UAE’s airspace, state news agency WAM reports, but emphasised "that continuous real-time monitoring remains in place to ensure the highest levels of safety of air navigation".

The authority has advised passengers to contact their respective airlines in order to remain up to date with the latest information regarding their flight schedules.

It also stressed that the safety of passengers and flight crews remains its top priority, reaffirming its commitment to implementing all necessary measures to ensure the highest standards of safety.

It comes following the temporary closure of Dubai International Airport on Monday, after a drone attack on a nearby fuel tank. The airport is the world's busiest for international passengers.

Iran has kept up strikes on the UAE since war erupted in the Middle East, disrupting commercial air travel and targeting energy installations on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile a Pakistani national has been killed by shrapnel in Abu Dhabi overnight, government officials said on Tuesday.

In a statement on X, they said the incident happened after "the interception of a ballistic missile by air defence systems"