Tui has cancelled flights to Cyprus but confirmed services will resume on Saturday, as airlines continue to grapple with the fallout from US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The travel giant is among several carriers adjusting schedules amid widespread airspace closures and cancellations across the Middle East.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, 1,896 of the 5,456 scheduled flights to Middle Eastern destinations are expected to be cancelled today. However, 1,333 of these are bound for Turkey, while many others remain grounded but have yet to be officially listed as such. In countries including Israel, Bahrain and the UAE, nearly all flights have been cancelled.
Emirates has suspended all scheduled flights to and from Dubai until 2359hrs UAE time on 4 March, citing airspace closures. The airline is operating a limited number of repatriation and freighter flights, prioritising customers with earlier bookings. Virgin Atlantic has cancelled services between London Heathrow and Dubai on 1-3 March, and between London Heathrow and Riyadh on 1-2 March, with rerouted flights for other services.
British Airways has cancelled a number of flights to the Middle East and is offering free date changes or refunds for customers booked to destinations including Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv up to 15 March. Jet2 has confirmed its Cyprus services are operating as normal, following FCDO guidance that there are no travel restrictions to Cyprus.
Etihad is running a very limited number of services from the Middle East to the UK, with most flights grounded until at least Thursday. The airline continues to monitor the situation and advises passengers to check flight status before travelling.
