Middle East flights resume amid confusion after Iran strikes

Flights to and from the UAE resumed on Monday after three days of uncertainty, but operations remained uneven as missile threats forced holds and diversions. Twelve Etihad departures left Abu Dhabi by about 5 p.m. local time, and Emirates said it would operate a limited number of flights.

Apparent missile threats pushed two Etihad cargo flights to divert to Muscat early Tuesday, and an Emirates A380 from Mumbai held off the coast before turning back and landing in Dubai around 3:00 a.m. Riyadh-bound services were also disrupted after reported attacks on the US embassy, with Flightradar24 showing at least six flights holding or turning back.

The US State Department urged Americans to evacuate more than a dozen countries in the Middle East, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, via commercial means, though closed airports and airspace have complicated departures. The UAE partially reopened airspace for certain flights, and the first passenger departure was an Etihad A380 to London Heathrow at 2:39 p.m.

UAE, Abu Dhabi

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