Hundreds of thousands of travellers are stranded or diverted by airspace closures across the Middle East following the US and Israeli attack on Iran. The UK government is planning one of its biggest evacuations, with more than 76,000 British citizens registered in affected areas, most of them in the UAE.
Key transit hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have closed, leading to thousands of flight cancellations by major airlines including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Dubai’s international airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic, sustained damage from Iranian retaliatory strikes, with four people injured.
British passengers in Dubai are demanding direct flights home as the crisis continues. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, and against all travel to Iran, Israel and Palestine.
More than 3,400 flights were cancelled across seven main airports in the region on Sunday. Iranian airspace is closed until at least Tuesday morning UK time. Airlines urge passengers to check flight status before heading to the airport.
