UAE shuts airspace, Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports halt all flights amid regional missile crisis
Middle-East conflict leaves 300,000 Britons stranded; FCDO issues new ‘shelter in place’ advisories
Refugee status cut to 30 months as UK switches to Danish-style ‘core protection’ model
Latest News
Irish Government urges citizens in Middle-East to ‘shelter-in-place’ as 37 Ireland–Gulf flights cancelled
RTÉ reports that 37 flights between Dublin and the Middle East have been cancelled since Saturday as Gulf airspace remains largely closed. The Taoiseach has urged the 22,000 Irish nationals in the region to stay indoors and register with the DFA, while crisis cells in Dublin Airport and the Irish Aviation Authority manage diversions and re-routing. The situation poses significant duty-of-care and cost challenges for Irish companies with staff or supply chains in the Gulf.
Finland to Reject Non-Biometric Russian Passports from 1 June 2026
From 1 June 2026, Finland will no longer accept Russian passports without biometric chips, citing security and document-integrity concerns. Exceptions apply only to minors, holders of Finnish residence permits issued before the cut-off, and narrowly defined urgent cases, with a limited transition period until 31 December 2026. Companies relying on Russian nationals for cross-border work must ensure staff hold biometric passports or risk border refusals that could disrupt projects and assignments.
GCAA issues traveller playbook as UAE airlines scramble to rebook 20,000 stranded passengers
The GCAA published a consolidated advisory on 2 March explaining refund and re-booking rules for Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia and confirmed that more than 20,000 affected passengers are being housed at the government’s expense. The playbook helps mobility teams quantify cost exposure and reassure travelling staff.
Czech Government Dispatches Military Aircraft for Emergency Evacuations from the Middle East
Prague has authorised two military aircraft and supporting commercial charters to extract Czech nationals caught by sweeping air-space closures following Iran-Israel clashes. Around 6,500 citizens could be affected, forcing companies to activate emergency travel policies and rethink routing that normally relies on Gulf hubs. The operation highlights both the exposure of Czech business travel to Middle-East volatility and the tax-deductibility of evacuation costs for employers.
Vienna Airport counts 5 000 additional stranded passengers per day as Gulf hubs remain closed
Vienna Airport says the closure of Gulf airspace is stranding about 5 000 extra passengers per day on top of 9 000 already affected over the weekend. Eight airlines have grounded aircraft in Austria, disrupting corporate travel, expatriate rotations and freight flows. The airport’s earnings outlook and airline schedules now hinge on how long the Level-4 travel warnings and airspace restrictions remain in place.