Dubai: Leading UAE airlines have suspended flight operations to Beirut amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Dubai’s flagship carrier, Emirates, has cancelled flights EK953/954, EK957/958, and EK953/954 to Beirut’s Rafic Al Hariri International Airport. Moreover, passengers transiting through Dubai to Beirut will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until September 26, said the airline.
"We continue to closely monitor the situation in Lebanon and are in contact with the relevant authorities regarding developments and will provide updates as required," an airline spokesperson said. Emirates currently operates 12 weekly flights between Dubai and Beirut.
Meanwhile, Emirates’ sister concern flydubai announced Tuesday it has cancelled flights operating to Beirut on Tuesday (September 24) and Wednesday (September 25).
flydubai has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers and has offered them rebooking or refund operations. The airline operates seven direct flights from Dubai to Beirut weekly.
Late Monday, UAE’s national carrier Etihad Airways also cancelled its services to and from Beirut for Tuesday in response to the ongoing regional development. “Etihad is monitoring the situation across the region and continues to maintain close contact with authorities,” an airline spokesperson told Gulf News.
State-owned Qatar Airways has also suspended flights to Beirut until Wednesday. "Due to the ongoing situation in Lebanon, Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to and from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport until September 25," the Qatari national carrier said in a statement. "The safety of our passengers remains our highest priority," it added.
International carriers cancel flights
The latest cancellations come amid a series of ongoing disruptions to airline services to Lebanon, as tensions escalate between Israel and Hezbollah.
Several regional and international carriers, including Algerian national carrier Air Algerie, have cancelled their service to Lebanon and Tel Aviv until further notice. Franco-Dutch airline group KLM has cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 26. The company’s low-cost subsidiary Transavia has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv until March 31, 2025, and flights to Amman and Beirut until November 3.
India’s flag carrier, Air India, has also cancelled all scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice, and Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 27, 2025. Reuters reported that US Delta Airlines paused flights between New York and Tel Aviv through October 31.
Lebanese authorities said Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon on Monday had killed nearly 500 people and sent tens of thousands fleeing for safety, Reuters has reported.
After some of the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire since hostilities flared in October as the Gaza war erupted, Israel warned people in Lebanon to evacuate areas where it said the armed movement was storing weapons.
