Dubai: UAE carrier Air Arabia suspended services to Ukraine capital Kiev late on Thursday night in response to the downed Malaysian Airlines plane MH17.
Air Arabia, which had previously suspended services to Donetsk and Odessa, cut frequencies to Kiev and will no longer fly to Ukraine due to safety concerns.
“Air Arabia’s three weekly flights to Kiev in Ukraine were suspended with immediate effect and till further notice,” an airline spokesperson told Gulf News.
Other Air Arabia flights do not fly over Ukrainian airspace, the carrier’s spokesperson’s said.
Dubai discount carrier flydubai told Gulf News that it cancelled its Friday morning service to Kiev in response to the downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17. A spokesperson said the carrier is monitoring the situation.
The airline has previously reduced frequencies to Kiev and Odessa while suspending services to Donetsk and Kharkiv.
Etihad Airways does not fly to Ukraine and a spokesperson confirmed to Gulf News that its aircraft has avoided Ukrainian airspace “for some time.”
Late on Thursday, Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), told Gulf News the GCAA was monitoring the situation but had not immediately advised UAE airlines to avoid Ukrainian airspace.
