A total of 35 flights to or from Israel, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan were canceled on Monday, March 2, as a result of the events in the Middle East, according to the Bucharest National Airports Company.
The cancelled flights include 17 departures and 18 arrivals operated by FlyDubai, HiSky Europe, Israir Airlines, Qatar Airways, TAROM, and Wizz Air Malta. A complete list can be found here. In total, nearly 1,500 passengers were affected by the cancellations.
The situation is expected to remain similar in the coming days. Travelers can check their flights from the Bucharest airport here.
Wizz Air, a major airline in Romania, announced that it suspended all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until March 7 inclusive.
“The airline is closely monitoring the development of the situation and remains in constant contact with local and international authorities, aviation safety agencies, security authorities and relevant governmental bodies,” the representatives of the air operator announced.
Tarom also cancelled all its flights from Bucharest to Tel Aviv until March 3, but things can further change, and the air carrier said updates witll be made public in due time.
Flights from around the world to several popular destinations in the Middle East region were cancelled after Israel and the United States launched attacks against Iran on Saturday, February 28. Explosions were reported in Tehran and other cities such as Tabriz and Isfahan. The attacks reportedly targeted the military and state leadership of Iran, including ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed.
Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against US military bases in Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates and against military centers on Israeli territory.
In response to the situation, Romania’s Transport Ministry recommended that Romanian citizens who have planned trips to Israel or neighboring states directly affected by the conflict cancel or reschedule these journeys for a later date.
The government also set up special flights to bring back home more than 360 Romanians from the conflict area on Monday, March 2, after border formalities led to major delays for groups of passengers. In one case, a group of pilgrims caught by the war in Bethlehem, departed for Cairo to board a flight to Bucharest.
“Tarom personnel are maintaining contact with the representatives of the groups of Romanian citizens in the area, including the group of pilgrims caught in Bethlehem at the onset of the conflict, who are traveling today by road to Cairo to board the flight to Bucharest. Six professionals make up the crew of the first special Tarom flight from Cairo, supported on the ground by the company’s commercial, operational, and technical teams, mobilized to carry out this repatriation mission safely,” the national carrier said in a press release on Sunday, March 1.
(Photo source: Anyaberkut|Dreamstime.com)
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