In Latest Middle East War, the World’s Busiest Airports Are Under Fire

An Emirates Airbus A380

While Israel has eradicated Iran’s supreme leader and the top tier of the country’s leadership, Iran – in return – has shut down its neighbors airports, including those in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Those two airports aren’t just any airports. Dubai International Airport – where a pillar of black smoke rose following an Iranian drone strike – is the world’s second busiest, having seen some 92 million travelers cross its portals in 2024. Only Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport handled more passengers, according to data published Airports Council International World, which tracks such information.

A Qatar aircraft at a remote stand in Doha

Dubai’s airport is also the world’s busiest for international passengers. Zayed International Airport, also known as Abu Dhabi International Airport, is the second busiest in the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, Hamed International Airport in Doha, Qatar, is the world’s tenth busiest for international travelers.

Iran is not limiting its targets to airports. Its kamikaze drones have been captured on video slamming into high-rise hotels, apartment buildings, and other towers in Dubai as well as into residential towers in Bahrain. Of equal import, it also controls access to the Strait of Hormuz,

The Joint Maritime Information Center, a global maritime body, issued an alert Monday saying that ships are already being hit by “persistently higher levels of electronic interference,” affecting satellite navigation systems. Some ships have been observed making U-turns prior to entering the strait.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)