Emirates has suspended ‘all’ flights to three countries due to ‘regional unrest’ in the Middle East, affecting UK tourists who use Dubai as a transit hub. The airline has stated that passengers heading to certain destinations ‘will not be accepted for travel’.
The British government is actively evacuating British nationals from Lebanon as Prime Minister Keir Starmer expresses concerns over a potential ‘regional war’. Following an escalation of tensions on Tuesday evening, Iran fired close to 200 missiles at Israel in response to Israeli actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
This conflict has had repercussions for air travel in the region, with Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Flydubai experiencing cancellations or diversions. However, Emirates has confirmed that flights from the UK to Dubai remain unaffected.
In their statement, Emirates announced: “Emirates is cancelling all regular flights to/from Iraq (Basra and Baghdad), Iran (Tehran), and Jordan (Amman) on 4th and 5th October due to regional unrest. 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.”
The airline advises: “Impacted customers must contact their booking agents for alternative travel options or contact us if they have booked with Emirates directly. Customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting Manage Your Booking to receive updates.”, reports Birmingham Live.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation in the region and are in contact with the relevant authorities regarding developments.”
The British Foreign Office has issued a stern warning against all travel to Iraq, excluding the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), where only essential travel is advised. Furthermore, it strongly discourages all travel to Iran, stating: “British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention. Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.”
