Latest news with #TravelDisruptions
BBC News
11-08-2025
- BBC News
Why 'best time to visit' no longer applies
Climate change is rewriting the rulebook for trip planning – and travellers need to adapt. I spent April and May this year travelling across Nepal – prime trekking season and often billed as the "best time to visit". Almost every online guide promised clear skies and comfortable temperatures. Instead, I found hazy polluted air and low visibility, especially at lower elevations. Early monsoons swept across the country, briefly clearing the smoke but replacing it with downpours I hadn't prepared for. The gap between expectation and reality was jarring. This isn't just a Nepal problem; travel is facing climate-driven disruptions everywhere. Australia recorded its hottest March on record this year, with temperatures 2.41C above the historical average. In Japan, cherry blossoms are blooming earlier than ever. Across the globe, longer summers, shorter winters and erratic "false springs" are now routine. "The planet's warming since around 1980 is making heatwaves, droughts and floods more frequent and severe," says Jonathan Erdman, senior meteorologist at The Weather Company's "All three of these are most common during summer, when travel peaks." But the unpredictability now stretches year-round. "Extremely wet and dry periods can happen any time of year – including shoulder season – if the weather pattern gets stuck for a while," Erdman adds.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Air India cuts less than 5% of narrowbody jet routes, suspends two international flights
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Air India said on Sunday it is temporarily reducing less than 5% of its narrowbody jet routes for "operational stability", its second such reduction following a plane crash earlier this month that killed all but one of the 242 people on board. The airline, reeling from the deadliest crash in decades, said in a post on X that the cuts will strengthen its network-wide operational stability. Two daily flights from India to Singapore will be suspended along with disruptions on 19 domestic routes until July 15, it said. On June 18, the airline cut international operations on its widebody aircraft by 15%, citing ongoing safety inspections and operational disruptions.
Reuters
22-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Air India cuts less than 5% of narrowbody jet routes, suspends two international flights
NEW DELHI, June 22 (Reuters) - Air India said on Sunday it is temporarily reducing less than 5% of its narrowbody jet routes for "operational stability", its second such reduction following a plane crash earlier this month that killed all but one of the 242 people on board. The airline, reeling from the deadliest crash in decades, said in a post on X that the cuts will strengthen its network-wide operational stability. Two daily flights from India to Singapore will be suspended along with disruptions on 19 domestic routes until July 15, it said. On June 18, the airline cut international operations on its widebody aircraft by 15%, citing ongoing safety inspections and operational disruptions.
The National
18-06-2025
- Business
- The National
'I feel powerless': Emiratis and UAE residents stranded abroad as Iran-Israel conflict rages
Emiratis and UAE residents have been stranded abroad as governments and airlines cancel flights in response to the Israel-Iran conflict. The closure of Iranian and Israeli airspace, along with disruptions to other countries in the region, has left travellers to find alternative routes home. The hostilities show no signs of slowing after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for a strike on its military sites last Friday. Among those caught in the upheaval is Emirati lawyer Mohammad Al Redha, who travelled to Beirut last Thursday on his first visit since the UAE lifted its travel ban to Lebanon. Mr Al Redha's return flight with Emirates, scheduled for Sunday, was cancelled less than 12 hours before it was scheduled to take off. 'My return ticket was for Sunday but the airline sent a message before departure that the flight was cancelled,' Mr Al Redha said. He went to the airport with his friend around midnight on Saturday in the hope of finding any flight leaving Lebanon. When he arrived at the airport, he found it was closed and waited until it reopened at 6am. 'There was panic and everyone was trying to leave," he said. 'The Middle East counters were very busy. We managed to get a ticket to Istanbul and then we booked a flight with Emirates to Dubai. We landed safely at Terminal 3 around 12pm on Sunday. 'The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted me when I was in Lebanon and again on arrival. I'm deeply thankful for the UAE's efforts in looking after its citizens.' Dubai resident Mohammad Diba is stranded in his native Syria after travelling home to Aleppo for his annual leave. Since then, his flight back to the UAE has been cancelled twice. 'I was travelling back to Dubai when the war unfolded. My flight on Syrian Air was rescheduled for Sunday and later it was cancelled. I don't know what to do,' he said. Waiting to return The 44-year-old, who works in a private company in Dubai, said that he is eager to return to the Emirates and return to work. 'My workplace was supportive and understand the situation but I'm nervous now as it looks like there is no hope of opening the airspace,' he added. 'I offered to work online.' The unexpected delay has cost Mr Diba. He drove for five hours in a rented car at the weekend to reach the airport in Damascus, only to find the flight was suspended which left him no choice but to return to Aleppo. He made the journey again the next day only to find the flight had been cancelled. 'It's financially and mentally exhausting. I don't know what to do,' he said. For Dubai resident Zainab Saeed, a trip to Baghdad on the first day of Eid Al Adha was her first in 27 years after leaving Iraq. 'I was eager to see Baghdad after all this time and I left with my husband. We were supposed to return on June 15 when the airspace was closed,' the 47-year-old said. Air Arabia sent a message to her husband notifying them that the return flight to Sharjah was cancelled. 'They didn't provide any alternatives or explanation,' she said. This led to the couple trying to find routes back to the UAE. 'At first, we thought we could travel by a vehicle to Jordan and then find a flight to the UAE but it was a complicated route,' she said. They had heard that Iraqi Airways were operating from Basra International Airport in southern Iraq but they could not get a ticket. 'It was chaos in Basra as many travellers went in hope to get a flight. We felt hopeless as the airport couldn't handle the crisis,' she said. They applied for a transit visa to Kuwait to cross the land border. 'In theory, a transit visa can be issued in 24 hours but on the ground it takes three days. If we secure the visa then we can travel by car to Kuwait and then book a ticket to the UAE,' she said. Ms Saeed, a consultant in a private company, said her workplace was trying to help and support her. 'They understand my situation but I feel that I'm powerless,' she said. 'It is one of the toughest trips in my life.'
CBS News
25-05-2025
- CBS News
Memorial Day travel rush brings delays and crowds at DFW Airport
EDITOR'S NOTE: More than 3.7 million Texans are expected to travel over the Memorial Day weekend, a 3% increase from last year and the third consecutive year of record-breaking travel in the state, according to AAA. ---- On Saturday, hundreds of passengers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport experienced delays. Airport officials said storms in some areas contributed to the disruptions. Bloomberg via Getty "It was slightly delayed. It was a plane that arrived a little bit late, so about 30, 40 minutes," passenger Kara Boydston said. "It was delayed. They said they had mechanical issues," Holly Iglesias said. As of Saturday evening, FlightAware reported more than 400 delays at DFW. "With travel, you have to be fluid," Iglesias said. "So you know, is it surprising? You'd hope not, but they do what they can." Passengers also dealt with heavy crowds. DFW airport officials said they expect 1.4 million travelers from Thursday through Tuesday. "Yeah, it's a lot of people, but you know this is a major international hub," Iglesias said. "I was stunned when I walked into the Phoenix airport this morning. I fly in and out of there several times a year, and the place was jam-packed," traveler Wayne Dobbs said. American Airlines said it is operating more than 5,000 flights from DFW over the holiday weekend. "In fact, we are operating nearly 900 flights a day out of DFW airport this weekend," said Jame Moses, senior vice president of DFW operations for American Airlines. The airline said it is testing new technology to help passengers with connecting flights. "Through technology, we are able to identify those flights, suggest a slight hold, and allow those customers to connect onto the departure so we get them to their final destination," Moses said. With Memorial Day weekend marking the start of the summer travel season, American Airlines said it will offer more flights than ever before. "In fact, 12% more seats than we offered pre-pandemic out of DFW," Moses said. Between May and September, the airline will operate close to 100,000 flights from DFW.
