Amid severe unrest in the Middle East, as many as 16 passenger flights successfully departed from Abu Dhabi on Monday. According to Flightradar24, these Etihad Airways flights were headed to destinations including Delhi, Islamabad, Mumbai, Karachi, Moscow, Paris, Amsterdam, Muscat, Cochin, Bengaluru, Cairo, Dhaka, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh, and London.
Notably, airspace has been closed in several regions of the Middle East following ardent missile exchanges between Iran and the US-Israel alliance.
Emirates to begin limited operations
Emirates Airlines announced that it will resume limited operations starting the evening of March 2. Passengers with existing bookings will be given priority. Travelers have been advised not to visit airports unless they have received official confirmation.
“Emirates will begin operating a limited number of flights commencing on the evening of 2 March. We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority, and those who have been rebooked to travel on these limited flights will be contacted directly by Emirates. Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified. All other flights remain suspended until further notice,” the X post read.
Etihad issues advisory
Earlier, Etihad Airways issued an advisory for the passengers, stating that operations of flights will remain suspended till 2 pm (UAE time) on Tuesday. People have been advised to check their flight status before travelling to the airport.
“Regional airspace closures continue to impact Etihad's operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 14:00 UAE time on Tuesday 3 March. Safety remains our absolute priority, and services will operate only once all safety criteria are met,” the airline posted on X.
Thousands stranded due to air space closures
Thousands of travellers were left stuck at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Friday after rising tensions in the Middle East forced the closure of the region’s airspace.
The disruption followed Iran’s missile strikes across the region, which appeared to target United States military bases. The strikes came after Israel and the US carried out a joint operation against targets linked to Tehran, which both countries say posed a serious and immediate threat.
The sudden halt in flights affected one of the busiest transit hubs in the Middle East. Many passengers were unable to continue their journeys, with hundreds of Indian citizens among those impacted by the cancellations and delays.
