UAE airlines monitor Russian airspace after Ukraine's drone warning

Dubai: UAE airlines and passengers are watching developments in Russian airspace closely after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned airlines and insurers that the country’s skies are becoming increasingly unsafe as Ukraine steps up drone operations against Russia.

The warning does not currently amount to any new restrictions on UAE airlines. However, Dubai is a major hub for Russia-UAE air travel, with Emirates and flydubai operating connections between Dubai and Russian destinations.

Russian carrier Aeroflot also operates daily services between Moscow and Dubai. Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi and Air Arabia in Sharjah also offer multiple daily services to airports in Russia.

What happened?

Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that the growing number of Ukrainian drones operating over Russian territory needed to be taken into account by the aviation industry.

“We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, and everyone who still uses Russia’s key airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe,” he said.

At the same time, Zelenskyy said Ukraine did not intend to directly threaten civilian aviation. “Ukraine does not threaten civilian aviation as such - not a single civilian aircraft,” he said, adding that Ukraine did not want innocent lives to be lost.

His warning came as Russia said it would intensify attacks against Ukraine’s energy facilities ahead of winter.

What about UAE airlines?

For UAE travellers, the immediate impact remains unclear. flydubai told Gulf News that it is monitoring developments and adjusting its schedules and routings when necessary.

“We continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in the region and adjust our flight schedules and routings as necessary. As the situation remains dynamic, our teams are continuously assessing operational requirements,” the airline said.

The carrier also warned that some delays and diversions could occur, while stressing that passenger and crew safety remained its priority.

Gulf News has approached Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia for comment. Responses are awaited.

The UAE has significant air links with Russia. The country's national carrier Aeroflot also operates regular services between Russia and the UAE.

Aeroflot resumed regular daily UAE flights from June 1, with the airline announcing plans to increase the frequency to twice daily from July 1.

The Russian carrier had previously suspended flights to the UAE after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, with capacity originally planned for the Russia-UAE route temporarily redirected to destinations including Thailand, China and Vietnam.

Are flights already affected?

There are already delays on some Aeroflot services from Dubai International Airport.

According to Dubai Airports flight-tracking data cited in the supplied information, Aeroflot flights SU527 to Moscow Sheremetyevo and SU779 to Krasnodar were considerably delayed.

It is currently unclear if these delays were caused by Ukraine’s latest warning or increased drone activity.

Zelenskyy has made clear that Ukraine does not intend to target civilian aircraft. But his warning indicates that airlines operating in or through Russian airspace may need to factor the increased military drone activity into their risk assessments.