Flight Cancellations Due to Iran Conflict

Emirates, the world's largest international airline, has suspended all flight operations to and from Dubai citing "multiple regional airspace closures." Emirates began operating a limited number of "exceptional" flights from the evening of Monday 2 March to help repatriate stranded passengers. Several flights departed DXB on the morning of 3 March, including EK001 to London Heathrow, EK506 to Mumbai, and EK045 to Frankfurt. Customers with earlier bookings are being treated as priority and the airline urges passengers not to go to the airport unless they have been contacted directly. All other Emirates flights remain suspended and the situation is assessed continuously. On 3 March at approximately 3:00am UAE time, a fresh Iranian missile and drone salvo hit the UAE, forcing Emirates flight EK-501 from Mumbai into a holding pattern over the Gulf of Oman. Five inbound Emirates flights from India (Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore) were affected. An Emirates flight headed for Dubai turned back towards Mumbai. Passengers with bookings up to 5th March (extended from 10th March) can rebook on an alternate flight up to 20 days from the original travel date, or request a full refund.

Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended all flights to and from Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The airline is working closely with government stakeholders to support impacted passengers and will resume operations when the airspace reopens. All aircraft movements at Hamad International Airport remain suspended. Hamad International Airport was directly hit by Iranian strikes over the weekend. A further update will be provided on Wednesday 4 March by 9am Doha time (6am UTC). This has been postponed multiple times. Qatar Airways has also extended its suspension of flights to Iran until 30 June 2026. Passengers can refund or change their flights for the next 7 days. On 3 March alone, 492 cancellations and 16 delays were recorded at Hamad International Airport, with Qatar Airways accounting for 417 cancellations and 15 delays.

• FlyDubai has suspended all flights until 3pm GST on 3 March; however, a limited number of flights operated on the evening of 2 March and continued on 3 March. Several flights were bound for Dubai on 3 March including from Karachi, Belgrade, Krabi, and Warsaw.
  
  
• Etihad Airways has suspended all scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi until 2pm GST on 4 March (extended from 2am on 2 March). "Some repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights may operate in coordination with UAE authorities and subject to strict operational and safety approvals." At least 16 Etihad flights departed Abu Dhabi on Monday to destinations including London, Amsterdam, Moscow, Riyadh, Paris, Mumbai, Cairo, and Islamabad. On 3 March, two Etihad flights bound for Abu Dhabi were diverted to Muscat, Oman due to the fresh Iranian attack. 258 cancellations and 29 delays were recorded at Zayed International Airport on 3 March, with Etihad accounting for 193 cancellations. Passengers with tickets issued before 28 February with travel dates up to 7 March may rebook free of charge onto flights until 18 March. Full refunds are available for flights until 3 March.
  
  
• Kuwait Airways has suspended all flights to Iran until further notice.
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• Oman Air has suspended all flights to Baghdad, as well as flights to Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, and Kuwait for 2 March.
  
  
• Air Arabia has temporarily suspended flights to and from the UAE until 3pm GST on 4 March (extended). Flights to Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq suspended until 5 March. A limited number of flights may operate in coordination with relevant authorities.
  
  
• Sharjah International Airport has suspended all flights until further notice. Ras Al Khaimah International Airport has also suspended operations until further notice.
  
  
• Gulf Air has confirmed that all flights remain temporarily suspended due to regional airspace closures, pending clearance from Bahraini authorities.
  
  
• El Al (Israel) has cancelled flights through 02:00 local time on 4 March and closed ticket sales for flights through 21 March to ensure stranded customers get priority

The FCDO advises against all travel. Israeli airspace has closed.

The FCDO now advises against all but essential travel. British nationals are urged to immediately shelter in place. Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from local authorities. Register your presence online.

Take sensible precautions, follow advice from regional authorities, stay away from military facilities and ensure travel documents are up to date. Read the government's crisis abroad guidance and sign up to receive alerts from the foreign office.

Parts of Oman have come under attack. A tanker was hit off Oman's Musandam peninsula and drone strikes occurred at the Port of Duqm. People in and around the Omani town of Duqm have been encouraged to take shelter, and those in the southern city of Salalah have been advised to leave while commercial flights are still available.

FCDO has updated travel advice for 15+ countries including: Iran, Iraq, Oman, Jordan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Yemen, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, and Turkey. Saudi Arabia and Turkey have issued warnings against all but essential travel to certain regions.

On 2 March, the Sovereign Base Areas Administration confirmed a suspected drone impact at RAF Akrotiri. British nationals in the Sovereign Base Areas should follow instructions from the Sovereign Base Areas Administration. No FCDO advisory against travel to Cyprus itself.

Israeli strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon have killed 31 people and injured 149. FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Lebanon including the Israeli and Syrian borders.
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UK Government is exploring "potential scenarios" for evacuation should the conflict continue, including commercial, charter, military flights, and buses to get Britons across the Saudi and Turkish borders. Around 300,000 British nationals are currently believed to be in the Middle East.

Contact your airline directly or check their website/app before travelling to the airport. Conditions are changing rapidly

Airlines are advising passengers to stay away from airports until they receive confirmation their flight is operating. Dubai Airports has specifically advised passengers not to travel to the airport unless contacted directly by their airline with a confirmed departure time.

Most airlines are offering flexible rebooking options or full refunds for cancelled flights. Contact your airline directly. Airlines are experiencing high call volumes so be patient or use online refund forms. The UK Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that if your flight is covered by UK passenger rights legislation, your airline is required by law to get you home and look after you while you wait, including meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation.

Check your travel insurance policy. Most policies cover cancellations due to war and civil unrest. Note: Standard policies generally don't cover events that have already happened. "Cancel anytime" policies offer broader coverage. CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason) policies usually require 48 to 72 hours' notice of trip cancellation.

Use flight tracking services like Flightradar24 to monitor live aircraft movements and route changes.

The United Arab Emirates will cover the food and accommodation costs of tens of thousands of travellers stranded in the country. The UAE Department of Culture and Tourism sent a notice to hotels requesting them to extend the stay of passengers who are unable to travel "for reasons beyond their control." More than 20,000 travellers had been helped as of Monday.