UK flights to and from Dubai 'diverted or cancelled' amid fears of 'regional war'

Emirates, Qatar Airways and Flydubai passengers are among those affected by flight disruption

Three major airlines flying UK tourists to and from Dubai have been hit by 'cancellations and delays' amid fears over growing tensions in the Middle East. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Flydubai passengers are among those affected.

It comes as hundreds of British nationals are evacuated from Lebanon amid Prime Minister Keir Starmer's fears of a 'regional war'. The warning comes just days after Iran launched almost 200 missiles towards Israel in reaction to the ongoing bloodshed in Palestine.

Flights to and from several destinations in the area are being rerouted or called off as a result. Last night, Emirates said it would 'continue to closely monitor the situation' but a number of flights scheduled to take off on Friday and Saturday this week have been halted due to 'regional unrest', the Express reports.

Read more: TUI warns passengers to 'bring extra water' ahead of major airport change

In a statement: the airline said: "Emirates is cancelling all regular flights to/from Iraq (Basra and Baghdad), Iran (Tehran), and Jordan (Amman) on October 4 and 5 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."

Flydubai told The Express that flights from Dubai International and Beirut International Airport (BEY) have been cancelled from 24 September to 07 October. It also confirmed that flights to Iran, Iraq, Israel and Jordan 'would resume from October 4'.

Yesterday, a spokesperson added: "We are monitoring the situation closely and will amend our flight schedule if required. flydubai operates within flight paths approved by the regulator and the safety of our passengers and crew remains our top priority."

Meanwhile, a statement from Qatar Airways currently suggests that its flights to and from Iraq, Iran and Lebanon are 'temporarily suspended'. "We request customers to check status on qatarairways.com for travel schedules or call our Contact Centre on +974 4144 5555. The safety of our passengers remains our top priority," it added.

"Qatar Airways has temporarily revised the routing of a number of flights in its operation due to the airspace closures on October 1."

While there's currently no travel ban against the UAE (United Arab Emirates)- where Dubai is the largest city - tourists are urged to keep a close eye on the conflict as 'the situation is changing fast'.

"Ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region," current Foreign Office advice reads. "Monitor this travel advice and other media as the situation is changing fast. Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also get email notifications when this travel advice is updated."