Due to military strikes and subsequent airspace closures, Emirates and Qatar flights from South Africa to the Middle East are currently suspended.
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Turners International Travel Services has sent out an urgent travel advisory regarding flights to the Middle East on Saturday after the military strikes on Iran by the US and Israel and the retaliatory action from the Islamic Republic in response.
Turners said in the advisory that the airspace in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan is closed.
“Consequently, Emirates and Qatar Airways flights will not be departing from South Africa until further notice. If you are booked on any flights that are affected, the airlines will rebook once they can.
“Based on the latest information available, these restrictions are expected to remain in place until Monday, 2 March 2026. However, the situation remains fluid and subject to change. We will continue to monitor developments closely and provide further updates as soon as we receive additional information from our airline partners.”
Turners said clients needing urgent assistance can contact them directly.
Flight Centre South Africa said in a post on its Facebook page that it is monitoring the matter.
“Due to ongoing regional developments, several regional Middle East countries have closed their airspace (UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan and Qatar), we are monitoring the situation and will keep this advisory updated. If you’re travelling within the next 48 hours, we recommend keeping a close eye on direct communication from your airline for the latest operational updates.”
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