UAE's airlines cancel several flights as Israel strikes Iran
The UAE capital's international airport warned of flight disruptions on Friday.
'Flight disruptions are expected through today at Zayed International Airport. Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the latest status of their flights before travelling to the airport,' the Abu Dhabi airport said in a statement on X.
Emirates airline said flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran had been cancelled on Friday.
Several flights scheduled for Friday and one Tehran flight on Saturday were listed as cancelled on the airline's website, with the Dubai international airport also reporting that 'some flights at @DXB and DWC - Al Maktoum International have been cancelled or delayed due to airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and Syria' in a statement on X.
Earlier Friday, Jordan and Iraq, which both lie between Israel and Iran, announced they had closed their airspace and grounded all flights. Syria also closed its airspace.
Meanwhile, Sharjah Airport advises all passengers to regularly check their flight updates, as several cancellations and delays have been reported on Friday due to airspace closures in certain regions.
Passengers are encouraged to contact their airlines directly to confirm the status of their flight before heading to the airport, ensuring a seamless travel experience.
Sharjah Airport reassures passengers that it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant authorities and is implementing all necessary operational measures to maintain the highest standards of safety and service.
Other global airlines on Friday cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and other Middle East destinations, or rerouted planes, as airspaces shut following Israeli strikes on Iran.
Air India diverted or called back a total of 16 flights between India and London and cities in Canada and the United States 'due to the emerging situation in Iran.'
Air India's New Delhi-Vienna and Mumbai-London flights were about to enter Iranian airspace when Israel launched its attack, forcing the planes to turn back to their origin, according to aircraft tracker Flight Aware.
Its London-New Delhi flight had just entered Iranian airspace and was rerouted over Iraq before arriving in India one hour late, according to Flight Aware.
Qatar Airways, the country's national carrier and one of the Middle East's largest, said it had 'temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq due to (the) current situation in the region.'
Air France said it was suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv 'until further notice' following the closure of Israeli airspace.
'Air France is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East in real time,' a spokesman for the French airline said, adding that 'the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute priority.'
Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsiya instructed Russian airlines not to fly 'in the airspace of Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Iran' or use airports in Israel and Iran. It said the restrictions will stay in place until June 26 or until further notice.
German airline group Lufthansa suspended flights to and from Tehran until July 31. It also extended the suspension of Tel Aviv flights for the same period.
Swiss airline, which is owned by Lufthansa, suspended its Tel Aviv flights until October 25 while those to Beirut were suspended until the end of July.
Separately, Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held phone conversations on Friday with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly State of Qatar; Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly Sultanate of Oman; Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the friendly Republic of France; and David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the friendly United Kingdom.
The discussions focused on the latest developments in the region following the Israeli attacks on Iran.
The UAE top diplomat and the esteemed ministers addressed the implications of these developments on regional security and stability, as well as on international peace and security.
WAM/ Agencies
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