With most major airlines canceling flights into different Middle Eastern cities following the joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran on Feb. 28 into the start of March, the entire region is grappling with severe disruptions to travel amid widespread airspace closures and continuous risks of airstrikes.
Airlines including Lufthansa, KLM, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Air India have all suspended their services to cities including Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv, while local carriers Emirates and flyDubai have not run any flights throughout the weekend.
By March 3, Dubai-based Emirates and Etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi both announced that they will resume some flights during a limited window to evacuate the tens of thousands of travelers stranded in the country.
Emirates, Etihad running very limited flights out of UAE
“Emirates continues to operate a limited number of passenger repatriation and freighter flights on 3 and 4 March,” the latter airline said in a statement.
“We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority on these limited flights. Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified directly by Emirates, or hold a confirmed booking for these flights.”
Related: After Iran strike, travelers spent 16 hours on a flight that went nowhere
A dozen Etihad rescue flights from Abu Dhabi also flew to cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, London, and Moscow on Monday night, March 2, while others are expected to run during a limited time window on March 3.
Tracking data from FlightAware still show that more than 80% of flights out of Dubai and 50% of flights out of Abu Dhabi remain canceled on Tuesday, March 3.
Retaliatory attacks continue to target U.S. bases and embassies in Middle Eastern countries, NBC News indicated. Any flights that the airlines try to run could therefore end up canceled or diverted.
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“Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified directly”
The Emirates Flight EK501 to Mumbai was forced to divert back to Dubai amid refreshed strikes near the Gulf of Oman, The National reported. Etihad flights to Abu Dhabi from Dhaka and Hong Kong were also diverted to the Oman capital of Muscat.
Commercial flights out of the cities remained suspended throughout March 4, in light of the highly volatile situation across much of the region. flyDubai has also announced plans to run a select number of flights to Russian cities such as Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and Kazan, as well as flights into Dubai International (DUB) from Islamabad, Multan, and Sialkot in Pakistan.
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No major airline based outside the Middle East has so far announced a resumption of services to cities such as Dubai, Doha, or Tel Aviv. The American Airlines Flight AA 121 between Philadelphia and Doha remains canceled until March 5, and Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Air Canada have all also offered extended travel waivers for customers with affected travel.
Getting out of the region is proving incredibly difficult, given the large number of stranded travelers and ongoing attacks.
“I am feeling so, so, so grateful,” Leela Rao told Travel Weekly after arriving in Delhi on one of the Etihad rescue flights from Dubai on March 2. “Everyone clapped when we landed.”
Related: Iranian strike hits major airport, injuries reported
