Jakarta airport disruption adds to flight delays and cancellations affecting UAE travellers
DUBAI: I was surprised to see UAE travellers face another day of flight operations on Monday, with delays reported at Dubai International Airport and Zayed International Airport, while several regional services were cancelled.
Airlines urged passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport, noting that disruptions can result from regional security conditions as well as operational and technical issues.
Emirates
Emirates reported cancellations affecting Dubai-Jakarta services after Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport closed temporarily because of ash.
Flights EK356, EK357, EK358 and EK359 were among the services cancelled on September 6 and 7.
Emirates’ Dubai-Bahrain service EK837 had departed, while EK839 was scheduled to operate. EK857 from Dubai to Kuwait was also scheduled.
Several early-morning Emirates flights from Dubai International Airport were delayed, including flights to Hanoi, Seoul, Taipei, and Shanghai.
Etihad Airways
Etihad said services between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and Kuwait were mostly operating normally.
EY647 had arrived from Bahrain, while EY641 and EY645 were scheduled to operate. EY653 from Abu Dhabi to Kuwait was also scheduled.
However, several other Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi were delayed, including services to Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Islamabad, Delhi, Peshawar, Bangkok, Nairobi and Kathmandu.
The airline’s EY472 flight from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta was delayed after the airport closure. The return flight EY473 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi on September 7 was also delayed.
Air Arabia and flydubai
Air Arabia cancelled G9068 and G9124 from Sharjah to Kuwait and G9107 from Sharjah to Bahrain. Its Abu Dhabi-Kuwait service 3L020 was also cancelled, while other Abu Dhabi-operated flights faced delays or schedule changes.
flydubai cancelled FZ029 from Dubai to Bahrain, while FZ023, FZ021 and FZ063 to Bahrain and Kuwait were scheduled.
flydubai advised passengers departing from Dubai to complete online check-in at least four hours in advance, where available, and to verify their flight status.
Indonesia disruption
Volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau disrupted operations at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and affected Lampung’s Radin Inten II airport.
The Jakarta closure affected 209 flights and 22,798 passengers, with international cancellations and delays also reported. Passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport, even if their flight was previously confirmed.