UAE air travel remained mixed on Wednesday, with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports continuing to operate while airlines adjusted some services because of regional security developments as well as separate operational and technical issues.
Most flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi were operating as scheduled, although minor delays were reported. Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia were operating a combination of scheduled, delayed and cancelled services, with disruptions varying by route.
Some services to the UK and Indonesia remained affected, while airlines continued to make schedule adjustments. Passengers were advised to check the latest status of their flights directly with their airline before travelling, as schedules can change.
The disruptions are not all linked to the regional conflict. Airlines and airports have reported changes arising from operational and technical issues, making the situation different across individual routes and services.
A separate technical problem involving the UK’s air traffic control provider, NATS, also disrupted flights at airports across Britain, adding to travel difficulties on some UK routes, according to news reports.
The flight disruptions come as tensions in the Gulf remain high following the US Central Command saying five Iranian oil tankers were targeted after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly launched repeated ballistic-missile attacks against a US Navy warship. CENTCOM said the warship evaded the attacks and that no US personnel were injured.
For UAE travellers, however, the key point remains that Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports are open, while flight operations are being adjusted on individual routes according to prevailing security, operational and air-traffic conditions.
