Emirates has issued a statement regarding its flights following "ongoing disruptions" due to the Middle East conflict. Taking to X, the airline's support account updated passengers who have been affected on what they can expect as many flights continue to be cancelled.
Emirates has shared that all planned flights to and from Dubai will stay cancelled until the end of March 7, which is later than the previous date of March 4. But they are still running "a limited number of passenger repatriation and freighter flights".
Several Emirates flights have already returned to the UK, bringing relief to worried family and friends. The flights arrived in various cities, such as Edinburgh and London.
It comes as the Iran war enters its sixth day, with many flights anticipated to bring stranded British nationals home from the Gulf region. The first Government rescue flight and British Airways commercial flight from Muscat were expected to land in the UK early on Thursday.
However, a technical issue at the airport in Oman prevented the first chartered plane from taking off as planned. It is now expected to take off later on Thursday.
Emirates' social media post is the airline's latest update from its support team on X as of March 5. The statement reveals that the airline's support team is handling a high volume of customer enquiries and is working to resolve them as soon as possible.
The airline said: "Due to ongoing flight disruptions, our Customer Care teams are experiencing exceptionally high volumes. We're working to resolve all enquiries as quickly as possible. Rest assured, all cancelled flights will be rebooked or refunded as soon as possible, based on your preference."
For any passenger who has been affected by recent cancellations, the airline has explained what to do. The airline shared a list of steps to take, including getting in contact, request a refund and speak to your travel agent.
Emirates said: "Direct Message: DMs are the most efficient way to contact us right now. Please expect a 48-72 hour wait before we are able to respond. You can DM on X at http://emirat.es/xdm.
"Phone: Only call us if you are in need of very urgent assistance. Please be patient and expect a wait on hold of up to 2-3 hours. Contact numbers for your country can be found at http://emirat.es/support.
"Refunds: You can request a refund for your booking if it is on or before 12 March without contacting us. Just fill out the form at http://emirat.es/refund."
"Travel Agents: If you booked via a travel agent, please contact them directly for assistance with rebookings and refunds. If your enquiry is not urgent, please visit http://emirat.es/flightstatus for the latest updates, and contact us at a later time. Please also make sure your contact details are up to date at http://emirat.es/managebooking so we can keep you informed."
The airline finished the statement by sharing further steps passengers can take if they require additional support. "If you need further assistance, DM us with your booking reference and flight details, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Thank you for your trust and patience," it said.
