Third day of suspended SA flights amid Iran conflict
UPDATED: International flight paths have been plunged into disarray, with two major airlines expected to cancel flights out of Adelaide Airport for the third night in a row as travel chaos continues across the Middle East.
Qatar Airways’ Monday evening flights to Dubai and Doha have been cancelled, according to the Adelaide Airport website.
A spokesperson said Adelaide Airport was yet to receive confirmation from the airlines about whether the flights would go ahead and recommended “passengers keep in touch with their airline for the latest flight information”.
Airports across the globe have been thrown into disarray after the missile attack in Iran created a no-fly zone in Middle Eastern airspace.
It is believed Australian expats living in high-rises in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have been advised to sleep in cars in their basement car parks because of the danger the conflict poses to high-rise apartments.
Both Qatar Airways flight QR 915 from Adelaide to Doha, which was scheduled for 10pm tonight, and Emirates flight EK 441 from Adelaide to Dubai tonight at 10.40pm have been cancelled, according to Google.
It comes after both Qatar and Emirates cancelled their Sunday and Saturday evening flights bound to and from Adelaide due to Middle Eastern airspace closures after America and Israel’s attack on Iran.
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The airport spokesperson could not confirm how many South Australian passengers would be impacted by the cancellations, but the A350 Airbus used for the Qatar Airways trip typically carries about 250 economy passengers.
Emirates, the world’s largest international carrier, said it had suspended all operations to and from its Dubai megahub until Monday. The airline advised affected travellers to contact travel agencies for rebooking or requesting a refund.
Qatar Airways, which has suspended all operations, said it would provide a further update on Monday, while German airline Lufthansa extended its suspension of flights to the region to March 8.
Australia has issued “do not travel” warnings for Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as tensions escalate, and a diplomatic crisis centre has been established.
Hundreds of thousands of travellers were stranded or diverted to other airports after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace on Saturday.
That led to the closure of key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, and the cancellation of more than 1800 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines.
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The three major airlines that operate at those airports – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad – typically have about 90,000 passengers per day crossing through those hubs and even more travellers headed to destinations in the Middle East, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait airports struck
Israel said it had launched another wave of strikes on Iran on Sunday while loud blasts were heard for a second day near Dubai and over Doha after Iran launched retaliatory air attacks on the neighbouring Gulf states.
Dubai International Airport sustained damage during Iran’s attacks while airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait were also hit.
Two airports in the United Arab Emirates reported incidents as the government there condemned what it called a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles”.
Officials at Dubai International Airport – the largest in the United Arab Emirates and one of the busiest in the world – said four people were injured as of Sunday, Australian Eastern Daylight time.
Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said that one person was killed and seven others were injured in a drone strike.
Dubai’s landmark Burj Al Arab hotel was also damaged as overnight Iranian retaliatory attacks spread across the Gulf states and the wider Middle East.
Dubai – the biggest tourism and trade hub in the Middle East – later confirmed that a drone was intercepted, and debris caused a minor fire on the Burj Al Arab’s facade.
-with AAP
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