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Ukraine-Russia conflict: UAE airlines say closely monitoring situation

The Emirati embassy last week had asked its citizens to 'postpone travel to Ukraine at the present time'

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UAE airlines on Sunday said they’re closely monitoring the situation about Ukraine-Russia military conflict as well as the usage of the Ukrainian airspace.

The budget carrier flydubai, which operates flights to two Ukrainian cities, said it cancelled services to the capital Kyiv, also known as Kiev, for a day on Wednesday. Flydubai flights are currently operating to Ukraine.

Due to the escalating situation on the Ukraine-Russian border, the UAE Embassy in Ukraine last week asked its citizens to “postpone travel to Ukraine at the present time” due to the worsening situation.

Airlines around the world are cautiously watching the developments. Lufthansa will week said it will suspend flights to Kyiv from Monday till the end of the month and also reduce exposure to Ukrainian airspace, fearing imminent Russian attack on Kyiv. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines also announced an indefinite suspension of flights to Ukraine or through Ukrainian airspace on February 12.

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Russia has reportedly massed up to 190,000 military personnel in or near Ukraine. The Western countries have warned that the Russian military presence is growing near Ukraine borders ahead of a likely attack. However, Moscow insisted that it’s pulling back its military.

“We continue to monitor the situation. Please note that we operate a double daily service to Kyiv and 3 weekly flights to Odesa. As you are aware our services to Kyiv were cancelled on 16 February,” a flydubai spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times on Sunday.

Emirates doesn’t operate flights to Ukraine.

Abu Dhabi-based national airline Etihad Airways has no flights operating to or over Ukraine, but Etihad said it “vigilantly monitors global airspace restrictions and threats. The safety and wellbeing of our guests is always Etihad’s highest priority.”

-waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

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