UAE travel: Dubai's Emirates to resume flights to Beirut, Baghdad

Dubai: Dubai’s flagship carrier, Emirates, announced plans to resume services to Beirut, Lebanon, starting February 1. The airline said in a statement that it would also reinstate daily services to Baghdad, Iraq, on the same day.

From February, Emirates’ daily flights to Rafic Al Hariri International Airport will be served by a Boeing 777-300ER in three classes, offering more than 5,000 seats both ways each week.

Moreover, from April 1, the airline will scale up its operations and layer on a second daily service to Beirut with the addition of the EK957/958-morning service, which is also set to be operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in three classes.

More flight resumptions

Emirates and a majority of UAE carriers suspended flights to Lebanon and Iraq amid escalating security concerns in the region due to the ongoing Israel—Gaza war.

Air Arabia was among the first to resume its direct daily services from Sharjah to Beirut on December 18. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi also resumed direct operations from Abu Dhabi to Beirut on January 9.

The carrier operates four weekly non-stop flights between Zayed International Airport and Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

The region’s other ME3 carrier Qatar Airways, who had temporarily halted services to and from Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq, citing regional unrest, resumed services on December 9 with 14 weekly flights to Hamad International Airport in Doha.

Etihad Airways also resumed its non-stop daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport late last year.

The Israel-Gaza conflict escalated sharply in October 2023 when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths and abductions of civilians and soldiers. In retaliation, Israel declared war, initiating airstrikes on Gaza and imposing a blockade aimed at Hamas infrastructure, which also caused extensive civilian casualties and displacement. Shortly after, Hezbollah militants began attacking Israel in solidarity with Gaza, prompting the suspension of most international flights to the region. By November, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah brought an end to the conflict.

Several European carriers have yet to resume their services. Lufthansa Group, which owns Lufthansa Airlines, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and ITA Airways, will resume flights to Tel Aviv from February 1. 

However, the already-decided suspension of Lufthansa Group flights to and from Tehran up to February 14 remains in place, the Group said in a statement. Lufthansa Group Airlines will not fly to Beirut until February 28.

Cautious return

In the wake of the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Turkish Airlines said it would start flights to Damascus, the Syrian capital, on January 23, with three flights per week.

But airlines remain cautious and watchful before re-entering the region in full, they said. British carrier EasyJet told Reuters it welcomed the news of the Gaza ceasefire and would review its plans in the coming days.