- Ten fuel tanks at Dubai International Airport are now surrounded by large wire cages designed to provide protection against drone strikes.
- The measures follow a March incident that resulted in a major fuel fire and disruption to airport operations.
- The development highlights the importance of protecting aviation fuel infrastructure while maintaining fire resilience and operational continuity.
The structures surround a fuel farm comprising 10 tanks located between Terminal A and the VIP Royal Air Wing terminal on the southern side of the airport’s two-runway airfield.
The measures follow an incident on 16 March in which one of the fuel tanks was struck by an explosive-laden drone, resulting in a significant fire and major disruption to airport operations.
The incident occurred at around 3am, with a large plume of smoke visible across the Mirdif area of Dubai. Aircraft scheduled to land at DXB were diverted or returned to their departure airports while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
The airport subsequently reopened to commercial air traffic at around 11am, while smoke was still visible from the affected fuel tank.
Plans to install anti-drone meshing around critical infrastructure, including the airport’s fuel tanks, were reported in May. A video now circulating on social media appears to show the completed structures around the fuel farm. The location has been geo-located to Dubai International Airport.
The installation provides an additional physical layer of protection around fuel storage infrastructure at one of the region’s major aviation hubs. While the wire cages are designed to protect the tanks from drone strikes, the development also highlights the challenges of safeguarding fuel storage where a fire could have consequences for both life safety and the continuity of airport operations.
The March incident demonstrated the potential for an incident involving aviation fuel storage to generate substantial smoke and fire while also affecting aircraft movements. Firefighting operations therefore had to take place alongside the operational requirements of a major international airport.
The fuel farm’s location between passenger and VIP terminal facilities further underlines the importance of maintaining protection and emergency response arrangements around aviation fuel infrastructure.
The completed structures represent one element of the wider measures being taken to protect critical infrastructure at DXB. For fire and life-safety professionals, the development highlights the importance of considering both physical protection and fire resilience when assessing fuel storage facilities located within complex, high-value operational environments.
