DUBAI— Emirates Airline (EK) has successfully recovered a Boeing 777-300ER that had been stranded in Iran for nearly a month following escalating tensions in the region. The aircraft had landed at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) on June 13, just hours before Israel launched a major air assault on Iran.
The multi-million-dollar jet, operating as Flight EK977 from Dubai International Airport (DXB), was caught in an Iranian airspace lockdown and was finally flown back to Dubai on July 5 after a covert extraction of its crew and nearly four weeks of immobility, PYOK reported.
Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – Emirates, A6-EBR, Boeing 777-31H ER, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63361944Emirates Rescued Boeing 777
The 13-year-old Boeing 777-300ER, valued at $375 million, departed DXB at 2:27 a.m. on June 13 en route to IKA.
Unbeknownst to the Emirates (EK) operations team, Israeli fighter jets were already airborne as part of Operation Rising Lion, a coordinated military strike targeting strategic Iranian infrastructure.
Upon landing in Tehran, the crew began preparations for the return leg, but airspace restrictions grounded all flights before departure. Iranian authorities imposed the lockdown hours after the Israeli offensive began, catching EK977 on the ground with no immediate path home.
Though Tehran’s main airport was not damaged, the increasing instability meant the Emirates crew had to be urgently extracted. They were transported covertly across Iran’s border into Azerbaijan, from where they were flown to Baku and then repatriated to Dubai. No injuries were reported.
Photo: Clément AlloingRecovery Effort and Aircraft Status
The stranded Boeing 777 remained parked at IKA for weeks, with Emirates unable to retrieve it amid security risks.
After carefully assessing regional safety conditions, Emirates dispatched pilots to Tehran on July 5. Flight tracking platforms like FlightRadar24 confirmed the aircraft’s movement, marking its first flight since mid-June.
The jet completed a short two-hour ferry flight to DXB, where Emirates engineers conducted a comprehensive inspection. After being cleared for service, the aircraft promptly resumed commercial operations, already flying to destinations in India and the Philippines.
Photo- EmiratesFlight Operations to Iran: Current Status
While Flydubai (FZ), a subsidiary of Emirates Group, has resumed operations to Iran, Emirates has kept its Iran-bound flights suspended.
The airline is targeting July 18, 2025 as a tentative resumption date for services to Tehran, contingent on further stability and clearance from aviation authorities.
Emirates’ cautious approach reflects ongoing regional volatility. The airline continues to monitor geopolitical developments before reinstating full services to Iranian destinations.
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