Dubai travel warning: How the Israel-Hamas war is affecting UAE flights

AMID the chaos of the escalating struggle successful the Middle East, respective flights to and from Dubai person been cancelled oregon delayed.

Here we instrumentality a look astatine whether it is harmless to question to the area, which airlines are affected and however formation paths person changed truthful far.

Are flights going to and from Dubai?

Flights are inactive operating to and from Dubai, but with important disruptions owed to the spiralling determination tensions.

Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for planetary travel, is experiencing cancellations and delays.

Airlines cancelling and diverting flights

Several large airlines person been affected:

• Emirates cancelled each flights to and from Iraq, Iran and Jordan betwixt Wednesday, October 2, 2024 and Saturday, October 5.
• Flydubai has besides cancelled flights to these destinations.
• Emirates has suspended routes to and from Beirut until Tuesday, October 8, portion Flydubai has suspended them until Monday, October 7.
• British Airways, Lufthansa and Swiss Air person diverted flights headed to Dubai and different Middle Eastern destinations.
• Etihad Airways is rerouting flights and informing of apt delays and cancellations.

Safety of travelling to Dubai

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not counsel against question to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including Dubai.

However, they urge staying vigilant, stating: "Terrorists are apt to effort to transportation retired attacks successful the UAE".

The FCDO further advises: "Ongoing hostilities betwixt Israel and Lebanon could escalate rapidly and airs risks for the wider region. Monitor this question proposal and different media arsenic the concern is changing fast".

They besides enactment that "Military enactment successful the Red Sea area" poses a information risk, with the "possibility that Travel Advice for adjacent countries could alteration astatine abbreviated notice".

Changes successful formation paths

Flight paths changed importantly connected Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Here are the diversions which were enactment successful place:

• Many flights avoided airspace implicit Iran, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.
• Airlines diverted flights done alternate routes, which led to longer formation times.
• Traffic became dense implicit Istanbul, Cairo, and Antalya arsenic flights rerouted to debar definite areas.
• Some flights took wide arcs to the northbound and southbound to debar affected airspace.
• These diversions added respective hours to formation times.

According to FlightRadar, 81 flights were diverted by 16 airlines connected October 1, erstwhile Iran launched its onslaught connected Israel.

Additional question advice

Visitors should retrieve to respect section laws erstwhile travelling successful the UAE.

The FCDO advises: "Take attraction erstwhile walking oregon travelling alone, and usage a reputable taxi company, peculiarly if you are female, and astatine night. Do not judge lifts from strangers".

Travellers should besides beryllium alert that UAE airports person strict information measures for detecting amerciable items, including successful transit passengers' baggage.

Even residual hint amounts of amerciable drugs tin pb to apprehension and imprisonment.

Those flying wrong the portion are powerfully advised to cheque with their airlines for the astir up-to-date accusation and to beryllium prepared for imaginable last-minute changes oregon extended delays.