Dubai: Dubai carrier Emirates has extended its flight cancellations to and from Iran, Iraq and Jordan until October 5 amid growing unrest in the Middle East.
“Emirates is cancelling all flights to/from Iraq (Basra and Baghdad), Iran (Tehran), and Jordan (Amman) on October 4 and 5 due to regional unrest,” the airline said in a travel update notice posted on its website.
“Customers transiting through Dubai with final destinations in Iraq, Iran, and Jordan will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice,” it added.
Meanwhile, the airline said that flights to Beirut, Lebanon, will remain cancelled until October 8.
UAE, Middle East, and European carriers were forced to cancel and divert flights operating in the region after Iran launched its largest missile attack against Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for Israel's campaign against Lebanese militants Hezbollah.
Iran resumed flights at its airports on Thursday after suspending services late Tuesday. Civil Aviation Organization spokesman Jafar Yazarloo confirmed the resumption, citing the lifting of restrictions.
“After ensuring favourable and safe flight conditions and ending the restrictions, airlines are allowed to carry out flight operations,” he said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has advised European airlines to avoid Iranian airspace until October 31. The situation is under ongoing review.
Similar warnings were issued for Israel and Lebanon at the weekend.
Air Arabia flights to Beirut from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi remain suspended, and Egyptair said it was suspending flights to Beirut indefinitely. Jordan's flag carrier, Royal Jordanian, said flights to Beirut were not operating “due to the current situation”.
Local news agencies reported that Iran Air and Iraqi Airways have also suspended flights to the Lebanese capital “until further notice.” Bahrain's flag carrier, Gulf Air, and Doha-based Qatar Airways have also taken similar steps because of security concerns.
