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Escalating tensions in the Middle East have already directly affected the plans of Slovak vacationers. Due to the unfavorable situation, the largest Slovak airport in Bratislava had to proceed with the cancellation of selected flights to popular Arab destinations.
How are airports in Slovakia and neighboring countries responding to the crisis? And which lines remain safe for now?
MR Štefánika Airport in Bratislava constantly monitors the situation. Yesterday’s charter flight from Oman’s Muscat, which was supposed to land here at 10:25 p.m., was already canceled due to the sudden closure of the local airport.
For the same reason, even today’s flight to Dubai and back will not take place, the Bratislava airport confirmed in a statement to our editors.
While some connections are being cut, others remain valid.
“Direct regular flights from Bratislava to Tel Aviv with Wizz Air are scheduled to start in mid-March. These flights are still planned, as are charter flights to Bahrain and Qatar, which should start at the end of March,” said the spokeswoman for the Bratislava airport, Veronika Demovičová.
For now, Warsaw is not introducing area restrictions
Similar developments are also being observed in neighboring Poland. Chopin Airport in Warsaw told our editors that they are closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are closely cooperating with the airlines.
“From the position of the airport, we are not currently planning to introduce any other measures. However, we recommend that passengers contact their airlines directly with questions. They have already had to cancel several flights to airports in the Middle East,” said Chopin Airport in Warsaw.
Aviation giants Qatar Airways and Emirates also report cuts
The tense situation does not only concern the airports themselves. Qatar Airways, which normally operates routes to more than 160 destinations around the world, today informed the public about the temporary suspension of its flights. The reason is the current closure of Qatari airspace.
The Dubai company Emirates has already taken the same preventive steps.
Dozens of flights were canceled in Prague
The situation is also quite tense in the Czech Republic. According to information from the Czech portal, Prague’s Václav Havel Airport had to cancel 32 flights to countries in the Middle East on Sunday alone.
“For today, we have registered 32 canceled flights, all of which were headed to Middle Eastern destinations,” the Prague airport confirmed. At the same time, its representatives appeal to passengers to patiently wait for current instructions directly from their air carriers.
Although there are currently no flights to the area, stranded passengers should be taken care of.
“The check-in counters of Qatar Airways and Emirates airlines will remain open at the airport. Those passengers who have already left for the airport in the meantime will receive detailed information and assistance,” assured the airport management.
