Several UAE flights have been cancelled and rerouted…

UAE carries Emirates and Etihad have announced the cancellation of flights to several airports in Pakistan. Flights have been halted from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and some flights were even rerouted mid-air, in light of recent developments in the South Asian region.

Emirates has cancelled flights between Dubai and cities including Sialkot, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar. However, flights to and from Karachi remain unaffected at this time. The airline has requested passengers flying from Pakistan to not proceed to their local airports.

Etihad said that flights from Abu Dhabi to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, en route to their respective destinations on May 6, have returned to Abu Dhabi, rerouting that came as a result of the closure of the Pakistani airspace. Future flights from those destinations to Abu Dhabi have been suspended.

In the wider Gulf region, Qatar Airways has also suspended activity from Doha. The airline issued a statement on social media, explaining that it has “temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan due to Pakistani airspace closure”.

Within India, local carriers have also issued statements on cancellations, especially in the northern part of the country. SpiceJet said that “airports in parts of northern India, including Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar are closed until further notice. Departures, arrivals, and consequential flights may be impacted.”

IndiGo stated that flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amristar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner and Jodhpur have been cancelled for the day.

Internationally, some flights originating from other countries have also been impacted due to the airspace. Korean Air is rerouting its Seoul Incheon–Dubai flights for today, opting for a different route.

All passengers on affected flights are advised to stay tuned on the airlines’ official and social media channels for further updates, and to plan their journey accordingly.

@emirates, etihadairways

Images: Supplied