British Airways cancels Dubai flights until summer over Middle East 'airspace instability'
The airline announced that all flights to the UAE were suspended until later this year, while also putting trips to Doha in Qatar on hold until the end of April
British Airways has cancelled all flights into Dubai until the summer due to the "continued uncertainty" and "airspace instability".
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The airline announced that all flights to the UAE were suspended until later this year, while also putting trips to Doha in Qatar on hold until the end of April.
Travel to Amman, Bahrain and Tel Aviv has also been halted until after May 31.
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It marks the longest airline cancellation announced so far during the US-Israel war on Iran, which has now entered its third week.
Dubai Airport was closed on Monday after it was struck by an Iranian drone, sparking a massive fire.
Footage has emerged online showing a huge fireball explosion and a thick plume of smoke pouring into the sky.
Dubai’s Civil Aviation Authority announced the temporary suspension at around 1.30am ‘as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff’. Several planes were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport, southwest of the city.
The "drone-related" attack caused "minimal damage" and no injuries, authorities said.
Following the strike, British Airways (BA) said it had extended its flight cancellations due to "the continuing uncertainty of the situation in the Middle East and airspace instability".
BA will continue to serve Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, which have been less affected by recent airspace closures.
Dubai Airport has been targeted several times by missiles and drones from Iran, but this was the first time the UAE government admitted a drone had caused the damage, rather than debris from an interception.
More than 63,000 Britons have returned home from the United Arab Emirates since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, according to Government figures.
But tens of thousands of passengers have been left stranded in Dubai since the outbreak of war.
In response, airlines have increased their capacity in an attempt to return people home.
Emirates reached its highest number of services on Sunday since conflict began, with data from Flightrader24 showing the airline offered 369 flights - around 70 per cent of its pre-conflict levels.
Qatar Airways said it would increase its number of flights from Wednesday.
A spokesman added: "The number of flights that can operate each day is extremely limited under the current operational conditions.
"Each flight requires careful planning and remains subject to regulatory approvals and airspace conditions."