Amid the escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, special relief operations are underway in the UAE to fly travellers home. Limited services remain the priority as the regional airspace remains volatile. With many tourists and residents stranded due to the ongoing war, the UAE has waived the visa overstay fines.
According to reports, the UAE has waived visa overstay fines for tourists and select residents who were unable to leave the country after airspace closures and flight cancellations.
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security stated that the exemption applied to people who could not travel because flights were suspended or rescheduled due to the "exceptional regional circumstances".
The waiver covers fines imposed from February 28. It applies to visitors on tourist visa, visitors holding visit visas, individuals with exit permits and residents who had cancelled their residency permits in preparation for departure.
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Repatriation efforts are well underway as passengers return home via special and chartered flights operating from the UAE, including direct services from Dubai and Fujairah.
Limited flights have resumed at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah.
In the wake of the chaos, many flight operations were disrupted near the UAE due to strong GPS spoofing. GPS spoofing happens when counterfeit satellite signals are broadcast to deceive GPS receivers, causing them to compute false position, navigation, and timing data. It leads to incorrect coordinates, making the navigation systems misread the aircraft's real location.
Flight operations
Etihad Airways has suspended all its scheduled flights to/ from Abu Dhabi until 6 am UAE time till March 6. Limited repatriation flights are set to operate on March 5.
Emirates has also suspended all scheduled flights to/from Dubai till 11:59 pm UAE time till March 7. Special relief flights will operate on March 5.
Meanwhile, flydubai is set to resume its scheduled flights to several destinations from March 5.
Air Arabia has suspended its scheduled flight operations till Monday.
IndiGo is operating special relief flights to Athens, Muscat, Jeddah, and Madinah.
Air India Express: Special flights to/from Ras Al Khaimah from March 5 to March 7, connecting Delhi, Kochi, and Mumbai.
