British Airways Halts Abu Dhabi Flights Until Year-End Over Regional Airspace Risks

The aviation industry in the Middle East has suffered a severe blow with the recent regional disruptions that have caused a lot of instability in the airspace. Airlines have rushed to reschedule, cancel flights and reroute flights. British Airways is also one of the largest respondents, having grounded 100s of flights within the region and suspended flights to some key cities.

British Airways Suspends Flights To Abu Dhabi Until The End Of The Year

To the travellers, it implies just that: do not go to the airport without first checking whether your flight is on schedule.

Mass Flight Cancellations Are Caused By The Regional Airspace Instability

Aviation statistics have been bleak since February 28. Among all the 38,193 flights which were due to travel in and out of the Middle East, 21,915 flights have been cancelled. That’s more than half.

The airlines in multiple areas around the world have been compelled to make rapid decisions as sections of the airspace in the region became unsafe or were blocked off temporarily. Most airlines opted to cancel flights instead of risking making last-minute turnarounds or cancellation of operations.

In spite of the chaos, there have been indicators of improvement. The 4,783 flights,
which are planned to take place today, will have approximately 1,107 flights cancelled, which is significantly lower than it was previously.

British Airways has affirmed that it has minimised its regional flights as the uncertainty still exists. The airline has suspended all its flights in and out of Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv till later this month. Nevertheless, the most notable decision is that of Abu Dhabi as the flights will be suspended until later this year.

Before the disruption, British Airways used to offer daily flights to the UAE capital. Now that the schedule is stalled, it is a matter of hundreds of flights that are being cancelled.

The airline had to decide because of a prevailing uncertainty in the Middle East and instability in the airspace, in an official statement. The airline has also added that it is still looking at the situation and communicating with the affected passengers to offer rebooking or alternative travel arrangements.

Limited Repatriation Flights From Muscat

British Airways has also established some repatriation flights to the region to its passengers who remain trapped. The airline also assured that few seats are still left on flights between Muscat and London Heathrow on March 11 and March 12 due to travellers who had already made a booking.

Once these flights have been in place, the temporary service will be suspended because of the diminishing demand. Nevertheless, British Airways indicates that it will keep on monitoring the trend and might undertake the flights when the need arises.

Also Read: Oman Air Suspends Flights To 9 Cities Until March 15th Amid Regional Airspace Closures

What Travellers Now Should Do

Any person intending to travel to or out of the Middle East within the next couple of weeks must be on the alert. You can always visit the official site of your airline and note the current changes and ensure that you book your flight before travelling. Government travel advisories are also advisable, and they give the latest information.

Cover Image Courtesy: British Airways/Website

For more such snackable content, interesting discoveries and the latest updates on food, travel and experiences in your city, download the Curly Tales App. Download HERE.