Dubai Airport Reopens after Seven and a Half Hours

AFP

DUBAI, Mar 12: Dubai airport, the busiest in the region, reopened to air traffic on Monday after closing for seven and a half hours because of an aborted takeoff by a Bangladeshi airliner, an official said.

‘The airport reopened at 2:00 pm (1000 GMT),’ Dubai civil aviation department spokesman Huraiz bin Huraiz told AFP.

The airport had closed at 6:30 am (0230 GMT) after a Bangladesh Airlines plane with 236 passengers and crew on board was forced to abort its takeoff.

Fifteen people were slightly injured in the incident, which was under investigation, officials said.

Earlier News:

DUBAI, Mar 12:  An apparent mechanical malfunction on a Bangladeshi airliner injured 14 passengers and closed Dubai International Airport, an airport official said on Monday.

Bangladesh’s Biman Airlines Flight 006 was taking off at 6:30 a.m. Monday when a “small incident” occurred that caused the takeoff to be aborted and the plane halted on the runway, said the airport official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

Fourteen injured passengers were taken to a hospital and the plane was quickly evacuated, the official said.

The plane was travelling to the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

A Dubai government-owned radio station said the Middle East’s busiest airport would be closed for as long as 12 hours and asked travellers to phone their airlines for more information. Incoming flights were being diverted elsewhere.

Dubai airport’s Web site offered no information, but its arrivals and departures page listed flights as delayed or cancelled.