UAE Airlines Revamp Flights Amid Regional Tensions

Airlines in the UAE are canceling and redirecting flights as multiple countries have shut down their airspace amid escalating regional tensions. Passengers are urged to check their flight status on the airlines' websites. Airlines operating in the United Arab Emirates have canceled and redirected multiple flights as airspace closures spread across various parts of the Middle East amidst intensified regional tensions. On Tuesday, around 80 flights worldwide, including those of Emirates, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways, were diverted to locations such as Cairo and several European cities, according to FlightRadar24 tracking service data. The flights were headed to several Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi. Many airlines have suspended their flights to the region or are avoiding the affected airspaces. Dubai's flagship airline, Emirates, canceled all its flights to Iraq (Basra and Baghdad), Iran (Tehran), and Jordan (Amman) on October 2 and 3. The airline declared in a statement that until further notice, passengers heading to Iraq, Iran, and Jordan will not be admitted at their departure point if they were to travel through Dubai to these destinations. Emirates also canceled the following flights on October 2: EK 837/838: Dubai - Bahrain - Dubai, EK 855/856: Dubai - Kuwait - Dubai, EK 31/32: Dubai - London Heathrow - Dubai, EK 866/867: Dubai - Muscat - Dubai. The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways also redirected several flights on Tuesday (October 1) and Wednesday (October 2) due to airspace restrictions. Etihad warned that the Tuesday closure of airspace over Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon, following Iran's missile attacks against Israel, "is likely to lead to disruptions and delays affecting multiple flights in the coming days." "Etihad Airways flights only operate through approved airspaces, safety is always our top priority, and we will never operate a flight if it is unsafe," added the Abu Dhabi-based airline, noting that "this is an evolving situation, and the airline continuously monitors safety and air traffic news." The local carrier, flydubai, also redirected and canceled some flights due to the situation in the region: Flydubai flight FZ 143 to Amman's international airport (AMM) and FZ 157 to Ankara's international airport (ESB) returned to Dubai. Flydubai flight FZ 728 from Istanbul International Airport (IST) to Dubai returned to Istanbul. Flydubai flights to Jordan, Iraq, Israel, and Iran (except Bandar Abbas, Kish, and Lar) on October 2 and 3 were canceled. Passengers connecting to these destinations will not proceed with their journey, stated the airline in a release. "We continue to closely monitor the situation and adjust our flight schedules accordingly. The safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance to us. We are in direct contact with our passengers whose travel plans were affected by the situation." All passengers are urged to check their flight status on the airlines' websites or through customer service centers.