Virgin Atlantic has announced the suspension of its Dubai flights for the remainder of the winter season, following a 16-hour round trip that ended back in London. The decision comes after Iranian strikes targeted Gulf states in response to a joint Israel-US bombing campaign, causing widespread disruption across the region.
Flight VS400 departed London Heathrow at 10.22pm on Friday for a seven-hour journey to Dubai. However, after six hours over eastern Saudi Arabia, airspace was closed due to a fresh drone strike in the UAE. The Airbus A350 turned back, landing in Budapest to refuel before returning to Heathrow shortly before 2pm on Saturday.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson stated: 'The safety and security of our customers and our people is always our top priority. We have strict criteria that must be met for a flight to continue into the region, and even though Dubai airport reopened shortly after its closure, our criteria for proceeding had not yet been met.'
Hundreds of passengers remain stranded in Dubai, awaiting alternative flights. The airline has cancelled all Dubai rotations except for a single round-trip departing Monday and returning Tuesday. The London-Riyadh route has also been 'paused'.
Other carriers, including British Airways, are reducing flights to the region due to safety concerns and rising insurance costs. Meanwhile, Gulf airlines Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways are increasing repatriation flights, particularly to the UK and India, where thousands seek to leave.
