Middle East flights: A glimmer of hope amidst global aviation chaos
The skies over the Middle East began to stir with a cautious buzz on Monday and Tuesday as several international airlines resumed a limited number of flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This development offered a small but significant respite for travelers caught in the crossfire of Middle East airspace closures due to the escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. The region's air traffic had been suspended since Saturday, leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded in multiple countries.
The long-haul carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and the budget airline Flydubai, were among the first to take to the skies. They announced that they would operate select flights from the UAE, where air traffic had been grounded since Saturday.
Dubai's government issued a cautious advisory, urging passengers to head to airports only if they were directly contacted. This was part of a "limited resumption of operations," with over 80% of flights to and from Dubai and more than half of the flights to and from Abu Dhabi still canceled, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website.
On Monday, Flightradar24 reported that more than 2,000 flights had been canceled to and from seven key airports in the Gulf region: Dubai International, Hamad International Airport in Doha, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah International Airport, Kuwait International Airport, Bahrain International Airport, and Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International.
First Etihad and Emirates Take Offs
Etihad Airways played a pivotal role in evacuating stranded passengers, with at least 15 flights taking off from Abu Dhabi's airport on Monday. These flights headed to a variety of destinations, including Islamabad, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Cairo, and London Heathrow. However, regular commercial flights remained suspended.
Etihad stated on social media, "Some repositioning, cargo, and repatriation flights may operate in coordination with UAE authorities and subject to strict operational and safety approvals." The airline confirmed that scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi would remain suspended until 2 pm local time on Wednesday, March 4.
Emirates, another major player, began operating a limited number of flights on Monday evening. They prioritized customers with earlier bookings, and those rebooked to travel on these limited flights were directly contacted by Emirates. Dubai Airports confirmed the resumption of operations with a small number of flights permitted to operate from Dubai International and Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International.
Emirates flights UAE500 to Mumbai and UAE542 to Chennai were monitored by Euronews journalists on Flightradar24, with the former taking off from Dubai at 6:15 pm CET.
Flydubai's Approach and Departure
As Emirates flights were taking off, two Flydubai flights were approaching Dubai airport and entered a holding pattern, circling over the Gulf. Simultaneously, two Etihad flights were approaching Abu Dhabi to land after several flights took off from the airport on Monday afternoon, marking the first time since the Iran war's outbreak.
The resumption of flights was a significant development, with Emirates' flight UAE500 from Dubai International being tracked by over 138,000 people on Flightradar24. The site noted, "This is Emirates' first departure from Dubai since 12:19 local time on February 28."
Tuesday's Resumption
On Tuesday morning, five Emirates A380 aircraft departed Dubai, bound for Jeddah, Manchester, Paris, London, and Frankfurt. This further demonstrated the gradual return to normalcy in air travel.
Airlines Affected and Resuming Services
The conflict's impact extended beyond the UAE, with several airlines resuming limited commercial services to the Middle East to repatriate stranded passengers. Indian airlines, for instance, were resuming services to collect thousands of South Asian citizens affected by the war.
IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air, Oman Air, Saudia, Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines, Air France, KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa Group airlines, Finnair, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines were among the affected carriers. Each airline announced varying resumption schedules, with some canceling flights until March 7 and others extending cancellations until March 15.
The situation remains dynamic, and airlines continue to closely monitor and amend their schedules accordingly. The Middle East's air travel industry is gradually returning to normal, offering a glimmer of hope for stranded travelers and a step towards resuming global connectivity.
