Hundreds of passengers were left in limbo at Accra International Airport on Saturday evening after rising hostilities in the Middle East led to the abrupt suspension of flights to Dubai.
The disruption followed a dramatic escalation in regional fighting, with the United States and Israel launching a coordinated offensive against Iran under the codenames “Roaring Lion” and “Operation Epic Fury.”
The immediate impact in Accra was felt at 7:15 p.m. GMT on Saturday, February 28, 2026, when Emirates flight EK 788, due to depart from Terminal 3, was officially called off. The cancellation effectively cuts off one of Ghana’s key aviation routes connecting travellers to Asia, Europe, and North America via Dubai.
Gulf airspace closures trigger ripple effect
The suspension forms part of a wider shutdown of airspace across the Gulf. Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates have all closed their skies to commercial flights following Iranian retaliatory missile attacks targeting U.S. military installations and other regional sites.
Global flight-tracking services showed near-empty air corridors over large parts of the region as airlines rushed to divert aircraft or suspend operations to avoid conflict zones.
The aviation turmoil appears to have been sparked by a large-scale strike on Tehran. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in the operation, signaling what he described as a major political shift.
However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi initially rejected the claim, insisting that the Supreme Leader remained alive and resolute.
In Dubai, reports emerged of a fire at a building in the Palm Jumeirah district, with civil defence crews deployed to contain the blaze. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates also activated air defence systems to intercept drones and missiles reportedly entering their airspace.
With Dubai International Airport operating under partial closure, Emirates has advised passengers scheduled to travel within the next 72 hours to regularly check their flight status online. The airline indicated that schedules remain under constant review as security conditions evolve.
Travellers have been encouraged to contact Emirates or their travel agents directly to explore rebooking arrangements or refund options, as uncertainty continues to cloud air travel across the Gulf region.