Normal operations resume for Emirates, flydubai after floods in Dubai

DUBAI, The UAE: Over the weekend, Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates and sister airline flydubai said they have resumed normal operations after heavy rains caused severe flooding in the UAE earlier this week.

Emirates' President Tim Clark stated that the airline cancelled some 400 flights and delayed many more after a record storm hit the desert city of Dubai on April 16.

The storm forced the airline to suspend passenger check-ins departing from Dubai and stopped transit operations through Dubai International Airport, leaving thousands of travelers stranded.

A spokesperson for Flydubai said it had also returned to its full flight schedule from the airport's Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.

Clark said Emirates had provided 12,000 hotel rooms and 250,000 meal vouchers to affected customers, adding that it would take days to clear the backlog of rebooked passengers.

Researchers have linked extreme weather events, such as Tuesday's storm in the UAE, to climate change and anticipate that global warming will lead to higher temperatures, increased humidity, and a greater risk of flooding in parts of the Gulf region.