Emirates, Etihad resume some flights as Iran-US conflict enters third day

UAE-based carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways have resumed limited operations as airlines seek to ease some congestion caused by airspace closures enforced by ongoing Iranian attacks. 

Dubai-based Emirates said it will resume a limited number of flights from the evening of March 2, prioritizing customers with earlier bookings. Etihad resumed flights from Monday, March 2, according to the airline’s website and Flightradar24 data. 

Emirates had said that all flights to and from Dubai remain suspended until 3pm local time on March 3, while Etihad Airways temporarily ceased operations until 2pm local time Tuesday.

Qatar Airways has also suspended operations due to closure of Qatari airspace, with a further update expected by 9am Doha time on March 4. 

Oman Air has announced that all flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Damman, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab between March 4 to 6 have been cancelled. Barring the aforementioned flights, all other flights will operate as scheduled, though the carrier did warn of some possible delays. 

Airspace closures by GCC countries amid ongoing Iranian attacks were the most severe in recent times, leaving tens of thousands of travellers stranded in places such as Dubai and Doha.

Iran’s attack on Gulf countries has entered its third day, making flying a precarious pursuit, compounded further by the fog of war which has led to the inadvertent downing of US fighter jets in Kuwait. 

The UAE’s Civil Aviation Authority said that more than 20,000 affected passengers were supported through temporary accommodation arrangements and rebooking services. Dubai Airports, the authority that manages Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC), confirmed that limited operations will resume Monday, permitting a select number of flights to operate from both facilities. 

Flight cancellations across seven Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai's DXB and DWC, Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, Doha's Hamad International Airport, Bahrain International Airport, Sharjah International Airport and Kuwait International Airport, have now exceeded 12,300 flights, according to Flightradar24. 

More than 100,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East with the UK government, part of around 300,000 people who are present across Gulf countries, including residents, holidaymakers and those transiting through.  

Aviation infrastructure across the Gulf region has come under siege with Iranian missiles and drones attacking critical architecture. DXB’s concourse took a minor hit with four people sustaining injuries. A drone attack struck Kuwait International Airport, leaving multiple people with minor injuries and causing damage to Terminal 1.

In an interview with CNN, the Qatari foreign ministry ‌spokesperson has said that country intercepted Iranian attacks that targeted ⁠civilian infrastructure, ⁠including the international airport. 

Airlines around the world, from the UK and France to North America and Asia have axed flights to the Middle East amid mounting regional tensions.

Lufthansa suspended flights to Dubai until March 4 and to other cities including Tel Aviv, Beirut, Tehran and Amman until March 8. British Airways halted flights to the Gulf, Israel and Jordan through mid-March while North American carriers, including Delta and United, have all paused Middle East operations. Air Canada has suspended all flights to and from Dubai and Tel Aviv until March 23.