In response to repeated periods of operational turbulence, Dubai Airports and national carriers jointly rolled out a real-time flight-status API on 23 September 2026. The feed, integrated into Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia mobile apps, pulls live data from departure-control systems and air-traffic-management platforms, offering gate changes, revised departure times and baggage-belt information in one interface. The initiative went live the same day the UAE experienced one of its busiest—and most disrupted—travel mornings of the year. According to developers, the tool cuts information latency from an average of 15 minutes to under 90 seconds, allowing passengers and corporate travel desks to re-plan ground transport or meeting schedules almost instantly. Travel-management companies can subscribe to the API under a tiered model, embedding the feed into duty-of-care dashboards. Early corporate adopters include two Fortune 500 energy firms with large fly-in-fly-out workforces. Dubai Airports said the project is part of a broader ‘Smart Hub’ strategy that will see biometric boarding, one-tap payment for ancillary services and predictive security queue analytics rolled out before year-end.
Source: Khaleej Times
