Travel Expert Simon Calder Predicts When Dubai, Qatar and Abu Dhabi Flights Will Return to Normality
Travel in the Middle East region continues to experience severe disruption following the US-Israeli air attacks against Iran, with aviation expert Simon Calder offering his perspective on when operations might return to normal levels.
Massive Flight Cancellations Across Key Hubs
A multitude of flights to and from Dubai, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi have been cancelled in the wake of the military actions. These three locations serve as vital transport hubs for travellers moving between the Gulf region and Asia, typically handling approximately half a million passengers daily.
Since the crisis response began, over 37,000 British nationals have managed to return to the UK from the Middle East, though authorities believe tens of thousands more remain stranded across various locations.
Calder's Assessment of the Situation
Simon Calder, who has been regularly updating the public on the aviation crisis that commenced on February 28, stated that while he anticipates an increase in flights departing from the region, there is no definitive end to the disruption currently in sight.
"There are tickets now being sold by Etihad out of Abu Dhabi," Calder revealed. "Which is an interesting development. On top of that, I expect there to be a ramp-up in flights out of Doha and out of Dubai, but at the moment we are still a long way away from anything that could be described as normality, whatever that looks like."
The travel expert emphasized the scale of the disruption: "You know, the idea that you have half a million people flying to, through, and from the three big hubs of Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi every day. And it's an interesting question as to what on earth happens when, of course, the war is finally over, which cannot come soon enough. But anyway, so I hope that people will be able to get out."
Specific Flight Cancellations and Operational Challenges
On Monday, aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that 16 out of 18 scheduled flights from the United Kingdom to Qatar were cancelled due to ongoing airspace closures. Additionally, 11 out of 33 flights from the UK to the United Arab Emirates – encompassing both Dubai and Abu Dhabi – were also scrapped.
Industry experts anticipate that clearing the backlog of stranded passengers caused by the conflict will likely take several weeks, even after flight operations begin to normalize.
Airline Responses and Operational Decisions
British Airways has taken a cautious approach to the situation. Calder explained: "British Airways has taken the view that we're not going into Dubai or Abu Dhabi or Doha. If you want to fly out, we're happy to do that, but we're going to be arranging flights from Muscat."
The travel expert cited a specific example of the operational challenges: "Looking at Friday night's Virgin Atlantic flight to Dubai, that was arguably a good call because the effect was that the flight got to within maybe a couple of hundred miles of Dubai over Saudi Arabia and then turned around because of the attack on Dubai airport. It flew back, couldn't get all the way back, went to Budapest to refuel and then continued to Heathrow. So it was roughly, I think, something like an 18-hour flight to nowhere."
The situation continues to evolve as airlines, governments, and aviation authorities work to restore normal operations while ensuring passenger safety remains the top priority amidst ongoing regional tensions.
