The current conflict has raised fears of a tragedy similar to what happened in 2020, when the Iranian regime accidentally shot down a passenger plane, killing 176 people on board.
Planes were taking off minutes before a drone hit a fuel tank at Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, and more than a dozen planes had taken off in the 30 minutes before the attack. wall street journal Sunday report.
The report further claims that the incident is representative of the dangers commercial aircraft face when flying near war zones, with hundreds of airlines resuming flights to the Middle East even during the current conflict.
The current conflict has raised fears of a tragedy similar to what happened in 2020, when the Iranian regime accidentally shot down a passenger plane, killing 176 people on board.
“This is war. Why are they flying into the path of the missile?” Kourosh Doustshenas, one of the victims, told reporters Magazine.
Pilots, safety experts and industry executives have raised similar concerns about possible accidents, saying the risk of planes being accidentally hit by missiles, drones or even air defense systems is high, the report said.
On March 16, 2026, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during the conflict between the United States and Israel, authorities in Dubai said that thick smoke could be seen rising through the windshield of a vehicle from an area near Dubai International Airport after a drone struck a fuel tank. (Image source: REUTERS/STRINGER)
Accident risk figures
this wall street journal The report mentioned that of the 8,700 flights and government notifications departing from Dubai since the start of the war and on March 20, at least 39 flights took off or landed within five minutes of the national fire warning.
The Abu Dhabi hub registered lower numbers, with six incidents in the same time period, while Sharjah Airport, about 30 kilometers northeast of Dubai, recorded 12.
In addition, many strikes are not detected in advance and no advance warning is given when the impact occurs. The March 16 attack on a gas tank was one of them.
“We will not operate any flights unless they are fully assessed and approved as safe,” a spokesman for Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said in a statement.
at last,wall street journal At least five jets were reported damaged on the ground, but no injuries were reported.
