UK tourists have been told they ‘will not be accepted’ for travel
All flights operated by Emirates to three countries have been cancelled following regional unrest in the Middle East. Anyone travelling from the UK via Dubai to certain destinations “will not be accepted for travel”. Unrest has worsened in recent weeks, with an escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel.
On Tuesday evening, Iran launched almost 200 missiles towards Israel in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against the Hezbollah group in Lebanon. Hundreds of British nationals are set to be evacuated from Lebanon amid fears of a wider regional war. Travel to and from countries near Lebanon have also been affected. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Flydubai flights have reportedly been disrupted either by cancellations of diversions. Emirates confirmed that UK to Dubai flights are operating as normal, reports Birmingham Live.
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Emirates confirmed in a statement: “Emirates is cancelling all regular flights to/from Iraq (Basra and Baghdad), Iran (Tehran), and Jordan (Amman) on 4th and 5th October due to regional unrest. Customers transiting through Dubai with final destinations in Iraq, Iran, and Jordan will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice.
“Impacted customers must contact their booking agents for alternative travel options or contact us if they have booked with Emirates directly. Customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting Manage Your Booking to receive updates. We continue to closely monitor the situation in the region and are in contact with the relevant authorities regarding developments.”
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The British Foreign Office advises against all travel to Iraq, apart from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), where it advises against all but essential travel. It also advises against all travel to Iran and says: “British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention. Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.”