Thursday, Dec 01, 2011
Gulf News
Dubai: With the exception of Gulf Air, all other major Gulf carriers were forced to cancel flights to the UK yesterday as the 24-hour industrial strike across the country stopped work at the UK Border Control Authority, affecting all the countrys airports.
While Emirates cancelled its flight EK029, Dubai to London Heathrow, and the returning EK030, Etihad Airways said it had to cancel three flights EY019 from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow; EY020 from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi; and EY017 from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow. However, the Abu Dhabi-based carriers Manchester flights operated as scheduled.
Also, at the request of authorities at Heathrow, flight EY011 from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow was to operate yesterday with a reduced passenger capacity, Etihad said in a statement yesterday, adding that passengers booked on these flights were being rebooked by the carrier onto alternative flights.
Fly another day
Emirates, meanwhile, encouraged passengers to consider travelling on other days as there was likely to be significant disruption and extensive delays for arriving and departing passengers in and out of the UK, an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement.
On the other hand, Bahrain-based Gulf Air, which operates two flights per day to the UK, did not cancel any. All our flights are operating as scheduled, a Gulf Air spokesperson told Gulf News in a statement.
Qatar Airways, meanwhile, stated on its website that while all its flights to and from the UK yesterday were operating as scheduled, passengers travelling on the airline to London Heathrow and Manchester were likely to be affected due to the strike.
As a result of the industrial strike action by UK Border Agency staff, passengers on all airlines arriving into UK airports should expect long queues and delays during the passport and immigration process, the Doha-based carrier said in a travel alert yesterday on its website, and offered rebooking options for passengers holding confirmed reservations for travel yesterday.
By Shweta Jain, Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2011. All rights reserved.
