British Airways and Emirates Issue Urgent Dubai Flight Warnings
British Airways and Emirates have issued urgent messages to passengers with Dubai flights booked, following the UK Foreign Office's advisory against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai. This warning comes as regional airspace closures have disrupted flight operations.
British Airways Flight Cancellations and Refunds
A spokesperson for British Airways, which operates flights from Birmingham, stated: "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."
The airline has implemented flexible options for affected passengers:
- Passengers due to fly between London Heathrow and destinations including Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, or Tel Aviv up to and including March 15 can change their flight date free of charge to travel on or before March 29.
- Customers travelling up to and including March 8 may request a full refund.
- For assistance, passengers are advised to call British Airways contact centres at 0800 727 800 in the UK or 020 3250 0145, or visit ba.com/helpme for more information on consumer rights.
Emirates Suspends Operations via Dubai
Emirates has confirmed that all its services via Dubai have been temporarily suspended following the partial closure of UAE airspace. This closure occurred after the US and Israel conducted strikes against Iran, leading to multiple regional airspace restrictions.
A spokesman for Emirates said: "Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai. We are actively monitoring the situation and engaging with relevant authorities."
The airline is advising passengers to:
- Check flight status on emirates.com for the latest updates before proceeding to the airport.
- Holders of tickets between now and March 5 can rebook their journey or request a refund.
- Emirates is assisting affected customers with rebooking, refunds, or alternative travel arrangements, apologising for any inconvenience caused.
Both airlines emphasise that the safety and security of passengers and crew remain their highest priority during this period of disruption.
