Airlines Etihad and Emirates Resume Limited Flights to the UK
Airlines Etihad and Emirates have confirmed they will be running a limited number of services from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to the UK over the next few days. This comes as thousands of flights in the Middle East have been cancelled in the past week due to US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which prompted retaliatory strikes by Iran across the region. Many Britons have found themselves stranded as a result of these disruptions.
The UK government has so far chartered one flight out, which left Oman’s capital Muscat on Thursday night and arrived at Stansted early on Friday morning. However, its departure was delayed by 24 hours due to “technical issues.” A government minister stated that commercial flights are “by far the most likely and the most rapid” routes for people to leave the region. Despite new flights being announced, the conflict is rapidly evolving, and circumstances around air travel could change quickly.
Flights Departing from the UAE
Etihad has announced that it will begin operating limited flights from Abu Dhabi starting from Friday. The airline said this decision followed “extensive safety and security assessments.” These new flights will be traveling to London Heathrow and Manchester in the UK, as well as European cities such as Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Rome, Paris, and Milan.
Passengers with previous bookings will be prioritized, although tickets are also available to buy on the airline’s website. Etihad has warned travelers against turning up to the airport unless they have been contacted directly by the airline or hold a confirmed booking on one of the new flights.
New commercial flights out of Dubai have also been announced by Emirates. These flights are open for booking, but customers with earlier bookings will be prioritized. Flights to Manchester, Birmingham, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Edinburgh are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
Passengers transiting in Dubai will only be accepted on one of these flights if their connecting flight is operating as planned.
Nick Beake from MathHotels.com, who was at Dubai Airport on Friday morning, reported that it felt calm and quiet, with a steady stream of passengers arriving. He added that there was no visible gathering of expats trying to leave.
Flights Leaving Qatar
There are still no commercial flights leaving Qatar following the temporary closure of Qatari airspace, mandated by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. Qatar Airways said it will update passengers by 09:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Saturday, adding that it has been “working around the clock to organize additional relief flights where operationally possible.”
Passengers affected by the disruption will be contacted directly by the airline with any next steps, and travelers have been told not to go to the airport unless they have received an official flight confirmation.
Flights from Oman Running
Flights from Oman are currently running. British Airways has organized flights from Oman to London Heathrow on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—although these are fully booked. The airline said it would add additional services from Oman if possible. It confirmed that it was still unable to operate flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Amman, Bahrain, or Tel Aviv.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the government has been working with commercial airlines to help Britons in the Middle East get home. He also mentioned the hope to organize more charter flights out of Oman over the “coming hours and coming days.”
Lammy raised the issue of getting people in the region to the airport in Oman to get on charter flights, noting that they “have to be able to travel safely in buses and cars without being hit by drone or missile fire.”
Home Office minister Hamish Falconer said commercial flights were “by far the most likely and the most rapid” routes out of the region, after the government’s charter flight was delayed by almost a day.
Flights from Bahrain
The airspace above Bahrain is closed, meaning there are no flights departing from the airport. Gulf Air, which operates in Bahrain International Airport, said it would update passengers on Saturday at 11:00 local time (08:00 GMT).
Can I Fly to the Middle East from the UK?
The Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar. While most flights to the Middle East from the UK have been cancelled following the missile strikes, some are still operating.
Kuwait Airways has announced a flight from Manchester to Dammam Airport leaving at 10:00 GMT on Saturday for those looking to return to the Middle East. Meanwhile, several Virgin Atlantic and Emirates flights are scheduled to depart London Heathrow for Dubai on Friday and Saturday.
