Several Dubai Flights Have Been Cancelled Or Forced To Turn Back After The Closure Of Sudan’s Airspace

Emirates flight EK 733 was forced to return to Dubai after Sudan closed its entire airspace on Thursday.

The flight had already left Dubai for Khartoum when it was notified about the closure.

The decision came following a military coup in Sudan, which removed the country’s longtime President Omar al-Bashir from power, after months of protests against his rule.

The new military rulers have now closed Sudan’s airspace for 24 hours which has resulted in a number of flights getting cancelled, rerouted or turned back.

A spokesperson from Emirates confirmed the news

According to The National, two Emirates flight were affected due to the airspace closure.

“Due to the closure of Sudanese airspace, Emirates flight EK 733 which departed to Khartoum on April 11, was returned to Dubai and flight EK 734 on April 11 from Khartoum to Dubai was cancelled.

The latest flight schedules can be found on Emirates.com.”

FlyDubai also cancelled a number of flights from Dubai

Flights including FZ635 between Dubai and Port Sudan and FZ635 between Khartoum and Dubai, which were scheduled to depart on Friday were cancelled.

“Passengers booked to travel to and from Sudan are advised to contact their Travel Agent or our Contact Centre in Dubai on (00971) 600 54 44 45 to rebook to a later flight or receive a full refund,” a spokesperson for FlyDubai confirmed.

The military has said the airspace closure will last at least 24 hours.