Dubai-based Emirates airline got the green light from local authorities to resume a “limited number” of flights as early as Monday evening, in a sign of how airlines are preparing to restart service to the region after thousands of flight cancellations.
Separately, Israeli airline El Al said Monday that it’s considering chartering private jets to bring stranded Israeli citizens home.
The announcements mark a potential improvement after air travel ground to a halt in a large swath of the Middle East over the weekend following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory strikes.
The attacks shut airspace over a large part of the region, stranding hundreds of thousands of customers around the world and leading to thousands of canceled flights, including those who weren’t flying to and from the area since aircraft couldn’t transit those zones. Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is one of the busiest air travel hubs in the world.
The airport authority that owns and manages airports in Dubai said a small number of flights would be permitted to operate from Dubai International and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International, but advised travelers to check with their airlines.
