BA continues operating flights from Muscat to London Heathrow amid Iran-US conflict airspace closures affecting Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi
British Airways has confirmed it will extend its daily rescue flights from the Middle East until at least mid-next week. The carrier is running services from Muscat, Oman, to Heathrow Airport, while its regular flights to the rest of the region remain on hold.
In a statement, BA said: “We remain unable to operate flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv. We have scheduled further flights from Oman (Muscat) to London Heathrow departing at 2.30am local time on 9, 10, 11 and 12 March. These flights are for BA customers who are in Oman or the UAE with an existing booking.”
Customers wishing to travel on these flights should reach out to BA on +44 203 467 3854. The ongoing conflict between Iran and the US and its allies has led to extensive airspace closures in the Middle East, causing significant disruption to flights.
Approximately half a million passengers per day utilise airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which serve as crucial hubs for travel between Europe and the continents of Asia and Australia. Industry experts predict it could take weeks to clear the backlog of passengers.
Muscat has become a vital point for individuals seeking to exit the Middle East. Unlike the advice for airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, the Foreign Office is not advising against travel to the area where Muscat’s airport is situated.
Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi can be reached by road from Muscat, with journeys spanning about 300 miles. Meanwhile, Emirates has confirmed it is steadily increasing its operations from Dubai.
The carrier revealed it has operated 35 departures to the UK since resuming services. By Saturday, it will be running 106 daily return flights from Dubai to 83 destinations, representing almost 60% of its network.
The airline anticipates returning to full capacity “within the coming days, subject to airspace availability and the fulfilment of all operational requirements”.
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