Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Dubai International Airport partially opened on March 7 with Etihad and Emirates airlines confirming they will continue running a limited number of services from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to the UK over the next few days. Emirates said it was working to restore full network operations, following the partial re-opening of regional airspace.
Thousands of flights in the Middle East have been cancelled in the past week, leaving many Britons stranded. This followed US-Israeli strikes on Iran which in turn prompted retaliatory strikes by Iran across the region.
A second government chartered flight to bring home UK nationals from the Middle East landed at Gatwick Airport on March 7. It departed from Oman’s capital Muscat on March 6, the Foreign Office confirmed.
The first flight, which landed at Stansted Airport, was delayed by 24 hours following “technical issues”.
But a government minister said commercial flights are “by far the most likely and the most rapid” routes out. While new flights have been announced, the conflict is rapidly evolving, and circumstances around air travel could change quickly.
Meanwhile, Etihad had announced that it will begin operating limited flights from Abu Dhabi starting from March 7 and said its decision has followed extensive safety and security assessments.
These new flights will be travelling to London Heathrow and Manchester in the UK, as well as European cities such as Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Rome, Paris, and Milan. Passengers with previous bookings will be prioritised, the airline said, although tickets are also available to buy on its website.
