Air Seychelles has cancelled two scheduled flights between Seychelles and Abu Dhabi after several countries in the Middle East temporarily closed their airspace.
In an advisory to passengers, the airline said flight HM018, due to depart Seychelles on Saturday 28 February, and flight HM019, scheduled to operate on Sunday 1 March from Abu Dhabi, will not operate.
Air Seychelles said the cancellations follow airspace closures announced in the region.
“The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority,” the airline said in a statement.
It added that the situation is being monitored closely. The airline said it will provide further updates on the next available services once more information becomes available.
Meanwhile, the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said it is aware of the temporary closure of airspace in parts of the Middle East.
In a notice to the travelling public, the authority said it is monitoring developments.
“In the meantime, we kindly ask all passengers to contact their respective airlines for any flight updates,” the authority said.
It also advised travellers to follow updates on the social media pages of Seychelles International Airport, Seychelles Airports Authority and Air Seychelles.
The disruption comes as several countries in the Middle East closed their airspace following escalating tensions in the region.
At least eight countries including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates announced airspace closures as the conflict escalated on Saturday.
Syria also said it had temporarily closed part of its southern airspace along its border with Israel for 12 hours.
The closures have affected global air travel, with airlines adjusting routes and cancelling flights across several regions.