Dubai International Airport gradually restarted operations on March 16 after a drone struck a fuel tank near the world's busiest international passenger hub, shutting all flights for seven hours.

Emirates began running a reduced schedule after 10am local time. Some services were cancelled outright. It was the longest operational halt since Dubai reopened air corridors three days after the war began on February 28, Emerging Travel reported.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority ordered the suspension at 6.30am as a precaution. Dubai Civil Defence contained the fire and no injuries were reported.

Several inbound long-haul flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali, including Emirates services from Beijing, Melbourne, Narita and Hong Kong. An Emirates flight from Perth landed in Abu Dhabi.

It was the third time since February 28 that a drone had reached the airport perimeter and caught on camera by onlookers, accordign to several regional news agenices.

The repeated strikes have driven most international carriers away from the hub. British Airways, Lufthansa Group, Air France, KLM, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Finnair and Virgin Atlantic have all suspended Dubai services through late March or beyond, citing airspace safety and war-risk insurance costs.

Qatar Airways said it was resuming a limited schedule but Dubai was not among its initial destinations. The carrier plans to restart Doha-Dublin services from March 20.

Emirates and flydubai continue to operate because Dubai is their home base. But a global hub depends on the foreign carriers that feed it, and most have left.

Around 500,000 passengers per day normally pass through airports in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.