EMIRATES: FULL STATEMENT ON FLIGHTS TO AND FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 3pm UAE time on Sunday, 1 March.

If you are booked to travel in the next 72 hours, your options are:

– ⁠Rebook on an alternate flight. You can rebook on another flight to your intended destination up to 10 days from your original date of travel. If you booked your flight with a travel agent, please contact them. If you booked with us directly, contact us.

– Request for refund. You can request for a refund of your ticket by completing the refund form if you booked with us directly. If you booked your flights with a travel agent, please contact them.

We urge all customers to check flight status before proceeding to the airport.

Customers impacted by flight cancellations must contact their travel agency for rebooking. If booked directly with Emirates, please contact us.

Customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting http://emirat.es/managebooking to receive updates

We are actively monitoring the situation and engaging with relevant authorities. We apologise to customers affected by disruptions for any inconvenience caused.

The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.

Travellers will need to “get creative” if they wish to fly in the coming days, an expert has warned, with hundreds of thousands of people stranded or diverted to other airports after mass airspace closures across the Middle East.

Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain have all shut down their airspaces. No flight activity was recorded over the United Arab Emirates as per flight tracking website FlightRadar24, which the UAE government has announced a “temporary and partial closure” of its airspace.

That led to the closure of key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, and the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines.

The three major airlines that operate at those airports – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad – typically have about 90,000 passengers per day passing through those hubs and even more travellers headed to destinations in the Middle East, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Dubai international airport is the world’s busiest airport for international flights.

Airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group Henry Harteveldt said, via AP: “For travellers, there’s no way to sugarcoat this… you should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end.”

“Travellers should anticipate that there will be a lot of disruptions,” he said, before adding: “To be honest, if you haven’t left home, chances are you won’t be leaving home if you’re supposed to travel to or through these destinations for at least several days, if not longer. And if you are returning home, you will have to be very creative about how you get home.”

Here are the latest updates from major airlines servicing Britons who may be stranded due to the Middle East travel crisis.

BRITISH AIRWAYS: FULL STATEMENT ON FLIGHTS TO AND FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

We are closely monitoring the situation and have cancelled a number of our flights to the Middle East. Safety is always our top priority and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so.

If you are due to fly between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai or Tel Aviv you can change your flight free of charge up to and including 6 March. Customers travelling up to and including 4 March may also request a full refund.

If you would like to do this, please call our contact centres on 0800 727 800 in the UK or 020 3250 0145 where a member of our team will be happy to assist. You can also find useful information, including details of your consumer rights, at ba.com/helpme.

Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to welcoming you on board soon.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS: FULL STATEMENT ON FLIGHTS TO AND FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Regional airspace closures continue to impact Etihad’s operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 2am UAE time on Monday 2 March.

Passengers due to travel are advised to:

– Check their flight status at http://etihad.com before travelling to the airport.

– Ensure their contact details are up to date in their booking.

– Guests holding Etihad tickets issued on or before 28 February 2026, with original travel dates up to 2 March 2026, may rebook free of charge onto Etihad-operated flights up to 15 March 2026.

– Guests on cancelled flights may request a full refund at http://etihad.com/help or through their travel agent.

– Guests who booked through a travel agent should contact their agent directly.

We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls and appreciate your patience as it may take longer than usual for calls to be answered.

The situation remains dynamic and schedules may change at short notice.

Etihad continues to work in close coordination with the relevant authorities and will resume normal operations as soon as conditions permit.

The safety of Etihad’s guests and staff is our highest priority. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate our guests’ understanding.

EMIRATES: FULL STATEMENT ON FLIGHTS TO AND FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 3pm UAE time on Sunday, 1 March.

If you are booked to travel in the next 72 hours, your options are:

– ⁠Rebook on an alternate flight. You can rebook on another flight to your intended destination up to 10 days from your original date of travel. If you booked your flight with a travel agent, please contact them. If you booked with us directly, contact us.

– Request for refund. You can request for a refund of your ticket by completing the refund form if you booked with us directly. If you booked your flights with a travel agent, please contact them.

We urge all customers to check flight status before proceeding to the airport.

Customers impacted by flight cancellations must contact their travel agency for rebooking. If booked directly with Emirates, please contact us.

Customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting http://emirat.es/managebooking to receive updates

We are actively monitoring the situation and engaging with relevant authorities. We apologise to customers affected by disruptions for any inconvenience caused.

The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.

QATAR AIRWAYS: FULL STATEMENT ON FLIGHTS TO AND FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Qatar Airways flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A further update will be provided on 02 March by 9am Doha time (06:00 UTC).

Passengers are advised to monitor the latest flight information via qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways mobile app.

UK FOREIGN OFFICE ISSUES ADVICE FOR BRITONS TRAPPED IN DUBAI

For any Britons currently in the UAE, the Foreign Office issued a new directive overnight.

Any citizens already in the UAE are urged to let the UK government know by registering your presence for further updates as the situation continues to unfold in the Middle East.

“Due to reported missile attacks, British nationals in the UAE should immediately shelter in place. Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”

The FCDO added that British nationals in the UAE should take sensible precautions, considering their own individual circumstances.

– Read the UK Government’s fact sheet If you’re affected by a crisis abroad. This includes guidance on how to prepare for a crisis with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and what to do in a crisis

– Follow advice from the local authorities and sign up to receive information and alerts. Read the fact sheet: National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority’s guidance across numerous emergencies

– Sign up to get UK government-issued email notifications for updates as they happen

British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Palestine, and Qatar can also register their presence to receive direct updates from the FCDO on the situation in the Middle East.

“You should continue to follow travel advice and the advice of the local authorities, ” a spokesperson for the Foreign Office said.