UAE Announces Temporary Suspension of Flights to Ukraine amid Political Unrest

Airlines in the UAE have temporarily halted flying to Ukraine following Russia’s launch of its full scale invasion of the country.

Air Arabia, Flydubai, and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi announced the provisional suspension of flights to the region amid safety concerns in light of military attacks.

A spokesperson for Air Arabia said, “Given the current situation and due to airspace closure, Air Arabia will temporarily suspend its flights between Sharjah and Ukraine until further notice. We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers. Affected passengers can contact Air Arabia’s call center or visit its website for more information.”

The Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise announced on its official website, "The provision of air traffic services to civilian users of the airspace of Ukraine is suspended."

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways is also circumventing the Ukrainian airspace is it diverts flights away from the affected regions. A spokesperson for Etihad said, “Etihad continues to completely avoid Ukrainian airspace, and as a precautionary measure, has re-routed flights away from the border region to the east and north of Ukraine by a considerable distance. The safety and wellbeing of our guests is always Etihad’s highest priority.”