Emirates Airlines has announced that two items – pagers or walkie-talkies – have been banned from flying with two items in their hand or holding luggage to, from, or connecting with Dubai, following device explosions in Lebanon and Syria last month.
“All passengers travelling on flights to, from or via Dubai are prohibited from transporting pagers and walkie-talkies in checked or cabin baggage,” a statement on the airline’s website said.
It continued that any such items found in a passenger’s hand or checked luggage will be confiscated by Dubai Police.
The ban comes weeks after an attack on Hezbollah devices, a Lebanese group backed by Iran and allied to Hamas, connected to the war in Gaza. At least 37 people were killed and 3,000 wounded on September 17 and 18 after electronic pagers used by Hezbollah to communicate simultaneously detonated in Beirut and Damascus.
The group and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for the attack, but the military has not claimed responsibility for the assault on communications.
After the explosions, Lebanese authorities banned electronic pages and walkie-talkies from being shipped or carried on all airlines departing from Beirut Airport until further notice.
The latest move comes after Emirates, the largest airline provider in the Middle East, also announced that while flights to Amman, Jordan, had resumed on October 6, flights to and from Iraq, Iran and Lebanon remain suspended due to ongoing missile strikes.
In a statement, Emirates explained that customers transiting from Dubai en route to these destinations will not be accepted for travel until further notice. Those attempting to reach the three countries will not be allowed to board at their original point of departure. The move aims to prioritise passenger safety amid rapidly changing conditions.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation in the region and are in contact with the relevant authorities regarding developments,” Emirates said.
The most recent Foreign Office travel advice warns that “ongoing hostilities” between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and “pose risks for the wider region”, affecting British tourists visiting Qatar, Oman and the UAE.
On October 1, Iran launched nearly 200 missiles towards Israel, a retaliatory action against Israel’s ongoing military operations targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon. The escalation has led to increased fears of a regional war, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressing particular concern over the potential for cross-border conflict.
The government is currently working to evacuate hundreds of British nationals from Lebanon and the Foreign Office has advised against all travel to Lebanon, warning that travel insurance may be invalidated.