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Middle East airlines restart limited UK services
Etihad and Emirates have announced a small number of flights from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Britain over the coming days, as regional airspace gradually reopens following recent military strikes.
Background to the disruption
Thousands of flights across the Middle East were cancelled last week after US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory attacks. The closures left many British travellers stranded, prompting the UK government to organise repatriation flights from Oman.
Etihad's new flight schedule
Etihad will begin operating limited services from Abu Dhabi on Friday, following what it described as "extensive safety and security assessments." The airline will prioritise passengers with existing bookings but has also opened new tickets for sale on its website.
Destinations include London Heathrow and Manchester in the UK, as well as European cities such as Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Rome, Paris, and Milan. Etihad has urged travellers not to arrive at the airport without a confirmed booking or direct communication from the airline.
Emirates expands UK routes
Emirates has also resumed flights from Dubai, with services to Manchester, Birmingham, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Edinburgh scheduled for Friday and Saturday. The airline said it carried around 30,000 passengers out of Dubai on Thursday and operated 35 flights to the UK since resuming services.
By Saturday, Emirates plans to operate 106 daily return flights to 83 destinations, including 11 daily flights to five UK airports. Only passengers with confirmed onward connections will be allowed to transit in Dubai.
Oman emerges as key transit hub
With Qatari and Bahraini airspace still closed, Muscat has become a critical departure point for stranded travellers. British Airways announced additional flights from Oman to London Heathrow, departing daily at 02:30 local time from 9 to 12 March. These flights are reserved for BA customers already in Oman or the UAE with existing bookings.
The first UK government-chartered repatriation flight from Muscat landed at Stansted Airport on Friday morning, though it was delayed by 24 hours due to "technical issues." A second government flight departed Muscat later the same day.
Government urges use of commercial flights
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the government is working with airlines to help Britons return home, adding that commercial flights remain the "most likely and most rapid" option. He also acknowledged the challenges of safely transporting people to airports in Oman amid ongoing regional tensions.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer reiterated this stance, noting that the delayed government charter flight underscored the reliability of commercial services.
Ongoing restrictions and advice
The Foreign Office continues to advise against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar. Qatar Airways has said it will provide updates on relief flights by 09:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Saturday, urging passengers not to go to the airport without confirmation.
Bahrain's airspace remains closed, with Gulf Air set to update passengers at 11:00 local time (08:00 GMT) on Saturday. Meanwhile, Kuwait Airways has scheduled a flight from Manchester to Dammam for Saturday at 10:00 GMT, and Virgin Atlantic and Emirates are operating some flights from London Heathrow to Dubai.
