FILE - In Tuesday April 20, 2010 file photo, an Emirates airline passenger jet taxis on the tarmac at Dubai International airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Flights were snarled at the Middle East’s biggest airport in Dubai early Wednesday after a backup system needed to deal with heavy fog failed, forcing airlines to divert dozens of planes. The airport operator, Dubai Airports, said it shut the facility’s two runways during the busy morning rush at 6:45 a.m. About 50 flights were rerouted to other airports in the region, including Abu Dhabi, Dammam in Saudi Arabia, and the Omani capital Muscat. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
October 10, 2012 - 3:23 AM
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Dubai's airport operator says 50 flights had to be diverted from the Middle East's biggest airport after a backup system needed to deal with heavy fog failed.
Dubai Airports says the runways were shut down at 6:45 in the morning Wednesday and are now back open, but it is still working with airlines to clear the backlog as fog lifted across the city. The airport operator blamed a loss of power to a vital runway backup system for the closure.
Flights were rerouted to other airports in the region, including Abu Dhabi, Dammam in Saudi Arabia, and the Omani capital Muscat.
Many of the flights listed as diverted or delayed belong to Dubai-based Emirates, the region's largest carrier. The airline says it regrets any inconvenience caused.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012