British Airways has suspended all flights to and from Abu Dhabi until later this year due to ongoing instability in the Middle East and uncertainty over airspace.
The disclosure was made in a statement issued by the airline on Tuesday.
The move comes as the region continues to grapple with conflict involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, which has disrupted airspace and forced closures across several major hubs.
What they are saying
The airline explained that ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East and unstable airspace necessitated a temporary reduction in its regional flying schedule. British Airways has cancelled flights to multiple destinations in the region.
- “Due to the continuing uncertainty of the situation in the Middle East and airspace instability, we’ve had to temporarily reduce our flying schedule in the region.”
- “We’ve cancelled all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv until later this month and to and from Abu Dhabi until later this year.”
The airline said it is in constant contact with affected passengers to offer options, including rebooking, changing dates, or joining repatriation flights where available.
Limited seats remain on repatriation flights from Muscat, Oman, to London Heathrow on 11 and 12 March for customers with existing bookings, and passengers who can safely travel to Muscat in line with FCDO guidance are urged to contact the airline to secure a seat.
The airline reiterated that it is actively monitoring the situation and will adjust operations as conditions evolve.
Backstory
The disruption to flights comes amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East following the outbreak of hostilities between Israel, the United States, and Iran, which entered its second week.
- The conflict began on February 28, after a joint military strike by Israel and the United States on Iran, followed by retaliatory drone attacks from Iran targeting Israel and neighbouring countries hosting U.S. military bases.
- At the start of the conflict, several airlines across Asia and Europe cancelled flights and suspended operations following the widespread closure of Middle East airspace.
- Flight tracking maps showed largely empty skies over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, and Bahrain as airlines halted services or rerouted aircraft.
Major Gulf aviation hubs were among the hardest hit, with airports and airlines temporarily halting operations due to security concerns.
Over the course of the ongoing war, airlines have maintained restricted flight operations, with some major airport hubs operating at reduced capacity.
What you should know
Other airlines have also had to adjust operations in the region amid the tensions. Emirates, for instance, resumed flights on Saturday, March 7, after earlier suspending all operations to and from Dubai on the same day.
- Earlier on Saturday, March 7, Emirates halted flights and advised passengers not to go to the airport while it monitored developments affecting its operations.
- The directive applied to customers transiting through Dubai, provided their connecting flights were operating.
- Dubai Airports (DXB) partially resumed operations from March 7, with some flights operating from both Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC).
Between March 2 and March 5 alone, more than 500 flights departed DXB and DWC, providing about 105,000 outbound seats to over 80 countries, while over 1,140 flights were facilitated over 84 hours to help travellers return home, though these numbers were below usual capacity.
In a notable diplomatic development, Iran’s president apologised to neighbouring countries for recent strikes and said Tehran would not target neighbouring states unless an attack against Iran originates from their territory.
This is a conditional stance that marks a shift in policy after attacks on countries hosting U.S. military bases; however, Iranian military leaders have reiterated that they will defend Iran vigorously if attacked.
