Air travel between Nigeria and parts of the Middle East has been severely disrupted following sudden airspace closures across the Gulf region, forcing global airlines to suspend or cancel hundreds of flights, ENigeria Newspaper learnt.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed that flights from Nigerian airports to destinations including Dubai and Doha have been delayed or cancelled due to escalating security tensions in the Middle East. The authority urged affected passengers to contact their airlines directly for updates on rebooking and refunds.
The disruption follows reprisal strikes launched by Iran on US military installations in the region early Saturday, days after a joint US-Israeli missile operation targeted Iranian positions. Multiple explosions were reported in cities including Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Kuwait City and Riyadh, prompting immediate aviation restrictions.
ENigeria Newspaper gathered that, in response, the United Arab Emirates temporarily shut its airspace, while operations at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) were suspended. Qatar Airways halted services, and several regional airports drastically scaled down activity.
Nigerian travellers were among those stranded. Passengers scheduled to depart Abuja for Doha on Qatar Airways were unable to travel, with some provided temporary hotel accommodation. Affected travellers also reported missed connecting flights to onward destinations after delays and cancellations.
Flight tracking data showed more than 500 departures from Dubai cancelled on Saturday, with hundreds more inbound flights disrupted.
The aviation shockwave extended beyond the Gulf. Ethiopian Airlines suspended services to Amman, Tel Aviv, Dammam and Beirut. Emirates paused operations to and from Dubai. Saudia, SriLankan Airlines, RwandAir, Air Arabia, Air India, Etihad Airways, Oman Air, Kuwait Airways and Kenya Airways all announced temporary suspensions or route cancellations citing safety concerns.
Airlines said the safety of passengers and crew remains their top priority and that operations will resume once secure flight corridors reopen.
With tensions still unfolding and airspace closures in place, airline authorities warn that further disruptions may continue in the coming days.
