Dubai: UAE carriers Etihad Airways, Emirates, flydubai, and other airlines have advised passengers departing or arriving at Dubai International Airport to check their flight status on emirates.com for the latest information regarding their flights. Etihad has also advised its passengers to do the same.
The UAE carriers are among several cancelling and rerouting flights as tensions between Iran and Israel escalate. In light of the heightened tensions, the UAE carriers have opted to avoid Iranian airspace and utilise alternative routes to ensure the safety and security of their operations. According to travel agents, the ongoing disruptions have severely impacted the travel plans of several UAE residents returning to the UAE after the long Eid Al Fitr break.
Etihad Airways has cancelled its services to Tel Aviv, Israel and Amman, Jordan, on Sunday, 14 April, in response to the region's airspace closure.
The airline said in a statement that the affected flights are EY593 from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Tel Aviv (TLV), EY594 from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi, EY513 from Abu Dhabi to Amman (AMM), and EY514 from Amman to Abu Dhabi. An Etihad Airways spokesperson said, “Guests booked on these services are being assisted with their travel arrangements.”
Following notification of the closure of airspace over Israel, Jordan, and Iraq, UAE’s flag carrier has also rerouted a number of its European and North American flights on Sunday, 14 April, to overfly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. “This is likely to cause some disruption and delay to several flights over the day,” said an Etihad Airways spokesperson.
More cancellations
According to flightradar24, a flight monitoring service, air traffic that used to fly over Iraq has now moved to fly either over Saudi Arabia and Egypt or over Tajikistan/Pakistan.
Meanwhile, an Emirates spokesperson told Gulf News, “Following recent airspace closures, Emirates has cancelled some flights and rerouted others. We are closely monitoring the situation and are making all efforts to ensure minimal disruption to customers while assisting impacted passengers.”
Dubai carrier flydubai also cancelled several flights on Sunday. The airline said it was “in direct contact with our passengers whose travel plans have been affected”. It would “continue to monitor the situation closely and make any amendments to our schedule accordingly.” Wizz Air Abu Dhabi also cancelled its scheduled flight to Israel on Sunday morning.
“This is a developing situation, and the airline is continuously monitoring security and airspace updates. Etihad Airways flights only operate through approved airspace. Safety is always our highest priority, and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so,” said the Etihad Airways spokesperson.
Indian carriers alter flight paths
Indian airlines have also altered their flight paths for Europe and the Middle East due to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. Tata-owned Air India and Vistara have avoided Iranian airspace following the Indian government’s advisory urging citizens to avoid travel to Iran.
According to media reports, they are now taking longer routes to ensure passenger safety and operational stability. Sources told Gulf News that India’s biggest carrier, Indigo, is also avoiding the airspace.
