Dubai airport delays: Flights in and out of airport suspended 'due to drone activity'

Flights at Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest airport for international travel, were halted this morning following reports of drone activity.

Flights were suspended between 10.13am and 10.45am local time but later resumed.

Thousands of people were briefly stranded at the airport, with some planes said to be stuck taxiing on the runway.

One passenger wrote on Twitter: "Dubai airport going nowhere due to drone flying around.

"So thousands of people sitting in planes going nowhere. What is wrong with people flying drones near airports!!!"

Another added: "Stuck for ages at Dubai airport runway unable to taxi as unauthorized drones have entered the airspace here and all takeoffs have been grounded!

"This seems to be happening often in airports everywhere. Recently in Gatwick also."

In December a drone wreaked havoc at Gatwick Airport, sparking days of chaos for hundreds of thousands of people.

Alleged drone sightings have previously disrupted flights into the United Arab Emirates airport, the base of the long-haul airline Emirates.

Drone owners are now required to register with the country's General Civil Aviation Authority.

Authorities also ban hobbyists from putting cameras or lasers on their drones and flying in certain areas.