UAE To Qatar: Several Flights In The Middle East Affected After The Temporary Closure Of Airspace

When the tensions escalated in the Middle East the previous night, several flights in the GCC region were affected due to airspace closure. Not to mention, countries had to close their airports, which affected many flights. As a result, they were either diverted, delayed or quickly returned to their base (after takeoff) due to these closures. Here’s what happened during the temporary closure of airspace.

UAE: Flights Disrupted After Airspace Closure

As tensions escalated in the Middle East the previous night, several flights and airports were affected. Yes, due to this, many flights were either diverted or delayed due to the sudden closure. For instance, in the UAE, several flights to and from the UAE were cancelled. When the airspace was closed in the country, there were minimal aeroplanes that were flying across the UAE airspace, as seen in a post by Flightradar24 on X.

Airport Operations Come To A Halt

In fact, not just the aeroplanes, but airports across the UAE, such as those in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi (to name some), had also closed. People had been advised to take stock of the situation and keep up with the information being relayed by their airlines regarding flight disruptions. After this closure, several flights were grounded, and many quickly landed that were still in the vicinity. The UAE’s closure of the airspace comes after Qatar also announced the immediate closure of its airspace.

Qatar Airspace Temporarily Closed

Late on Monday night, Qatar was the first to announce its airspace closure as the tensions increased. With streaks of missiles seen in the skies of Doha, there was a situation of panic amongst people on the ground as per some reports. As a result, flights to and from Doha temporarily remained suspended, since Qatar closed its airspace. This is evident from their official post on X late on Monday night. However, once the airspace reopened later at night, flights were reinstated. In fact, extra ground staff had been deployed at the Hamad International Airport to support the operations and passengers at the airport.

Bahrain & Kuwait Suspended Airport Operations Temporarily

Following this, Bahrain and Kuwait also closed their airports, keeping the safety of people paramount. Airlines issued statements how they were working closely with government entities to ensure that the safety of passengers is paramount. Additionally, there were no flights that were landing or taking off during the period from these countries.

Airlines Issue Advisories & Flights Affected

Not just the airports, but airlines also took to their social media to update people about the situation. Yes, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad Airways, and flydubai issued statements to keep the people updated about the situation in the UAE. They informed how the flight schedules were disrupted, some were cancelled, and many were delayed. As a result, they were asked to visit the website of the airlines to remain informed about the situation.

Also Read: UAE: Emirates To Air Arabia, Several Flights Affected Amid Rising Regional Conflict

Gulf Air Also Issues Statement

Bahrain’s Gulf Air also issued a statement, informing people about how it had resumed flights after the airspace reopened in the country. Similarly, Oman Air had also issued statements on how it was continuing to monitor the situation. It mentioned how the airline had cancelled its flights to Jeddah, Riyadh, Cairo, and Madinah due to the situation. And in another statement, it informed them that flights to and from Manama, Dubai, Doha, and Kuwait were also temporarily suspended.

GCC Airports Resume Operations

However, after the temporary closure, airports resumed full operations once the airspace restriction was lifted. Keeping the safety and well-being of travellers in mind, airports continue to serve the passengers once they reopen. For instance, Dubai International Airport mentioned how it had resumed full operations of the airport after the restrictions were lifted. In the same breath, airports also informed passengers about several delays and disruptions to the flights.

So, they asked the passengers to constantly check with the airlines about the updates relating to their flights in order to avoid confusion.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/ugurhan