New Delhi, Feb 28
The Dubai Airports on Saturday announced that all flight operations at the Dubai International and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International are suspended until further notice, as the Israel-Iran war escalated.
Air travel across parts of the Middle East faced major disruption on Saturday after Israel, Iran, Dubai and Iraq shut their airspace following Israeli airstrikes on Tehran.
"Flight operations at @DXB and Dubai World Central -- Al Maktoum International (DWC) have been suspended until further notice. Guests are advised not to travel to the airport, and to check with their airlines for flight updates," Dubai Airports said in a post on X.
"We appreciate the cooperation of our guests. Further updates will be provided as we continue to monitor the situation," it added.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is one of the world's busiest airports, handling over 8,500 weekly flights, or more than 1,200 daily flights, by more than 100 airlines.
Major carriers include Emirates, flydubai, IndiGo, and Air India, connecting to more than 270 destinations.
Airports in most of the Gulf countries were impacted, forcing airlines to cancel, divert or reroute flights due to safety concerns.
Israel closed its airspace to civilian aircraft soon after the strikes, while several airlines in Europe and the Gulf either cancelled services or changed flight paths to avoid the region.
Dubai-based airline flydubai earlier said some of its flights were disrupted because of the temporary shutdown of Iraqi, Iranian and Israeli airspace.
Air India said it has suspended all flights to all destinations in the Middle East in the wake of the developing situation in parts of the Middle East.
The announcement came as the US and Israel began "major combat operations" in Iran.
"In view of the developing situation in parts of the Middle East, all Air India flights to all destinations in the Middle East have been suspended," Air India said in a statement.
"We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety for our passengers and crew. We will continue to assess the safety and security environment for our flight operations and adjust operations proactively as required. Our teams will be extending all necessary support to passengers," the airline added.
The US and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iran on Saturday, significantly intensifying tensions in the Middle East.
The development raised concerns of a widening confrontation that could have far-reaching geopolitical and economic consequences.
An Air India Express spokesperson said that in view of the developing situation in parts of the Gulf region, "Air India Express has suspended all west-bound international flights. The safety and security of our guests and crew remain our highest priority."
- IANS
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