UAE based airlines have cancelled and rerouted several flights as airspaces were shut in several parts of the Middle East amid rising regional on Tuesday.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways is rerouting a number of its flights on Tuesday (October 1) and Wednesday (October 2) in response to airspace restrictions, the airline confirmed to Khaleej Times.
Etihad also warned that the shutting of airspaces in Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon on Tuesday — following Iran’s missile attacks on Israel — “is likely to cause some disruption and delay to a number of flights over the coming days”.
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“Etihad Airways flights only operate through approved airspace, safety is always our highest priority and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so,” added the Abu Dhabi-based carrier, noting: “This is a developing situation and the airline is continuously monitoring security and airspace updates.”
Etihad advised its customers to check their flight status on etihad.com. Passengers wishing to change their travel arrangements are encouraged to contact the Etihad Airways Contact Centre on (+971) 600 555 666, or their travel agents.
Local carrier flydubai also rerouted and cancelled some of its flights in response to the ongoing events in the region.
- flydubai flight FZ 143 to Amman International Airport (AMM) and FZ 157 to Ankara International Airport (ESB) returned to Dubai.
- flydubai FZ 728 from Istanbul International Airport (IST) to Dubai International (DXB) returned to Istanbul.
- flydubai flights to Jordan, Iraq, Israel and Iran (with the exception of Bandar Abbas, Kish and Lar) have been cancelled on October 2 and 3.
Passengers connecting to these destinations will not be accepted for their onward travel, the airline said in a statement.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and amend our flight schedule accordingly. The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority. We are in direct contact with our passengers whose travel plans have been affected,” added the carrier.
Passengers are advised to check flights status on flydubai.com for the latest information regarding their flights.
An Emirates spokesperson said that some of its flights had been cancelled and some were diverted amid regional developments.
“Following tonight’s airspace closures, Emirates has cancelled some flights and diverted others. We are closely monitoring the situation and are making all efforts to ensure minimal disruption to customers, while assisting those impacted,” the airline said in a statement to Khaleej Times.
Customers departing or arriving at Dubai International Airport have been advised to check their flight status on emirates.com for the latest information.
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