Emirates announces flight delays as Mauritius airport closed

Dubai - Passengers are advised to contact the local Emirates call centre.

Dubai-based airline Emirates on Monday alerted passengers of flight delays to and from Mauritius because of the closure of the island destination's airport because of tropical storm Calvinia.

"Emirates flight to and from Mauritius are delayed as Mauritius airport remains closed due to Tropical storm Calvinia. Passengers are advised to contact their local Emirates call centre for re-bookings. Please check flight status at https://www.emirates.com/ae/english/manage-booking/flight-status," the airline said in a tweet.

Mauritius closed its main airport on Monday and shops and other businesses in the capital also closed as Calvinia approached.

The Indian Ocean island's meteorological service said Calvinia had remained almost stationary for some time at about 120km east of Mahebourg, a small village in southeastern Mauritius.

"A movement towards the west will bring the center closer to Mauritius," the weather service said in a statement.

Gusts of up to 120km an hour were expected to hit Mauritius and the airport was ordered closed from noon local time.

The meteorological service declared a class III alert - indicating a storm with winds between 111 and 129 miles per hour - for the cyclone and Air Mauritius, the national carrier, postponed all arrivals and departures until further notice, it said in a statement.

With inputs from Reuters

• Dubai