Local travelers at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) faced disruptions over the weekend as escalating tensions in the Middle East led airlines to suspend or reroute flights.
From February 28 to March 2, eight international flights at MCIA were affected, covering both arrivals and departures, a representative of the airport authority said.
Two Qatar Airways flights were disrupted on February 28, followed by two Emirates flights on March 1.
On March 2, four more flights involving Qatar Airways and Emirates experienced delays or changes.
The airport authority did not release the number of passengers affected, citing airline data privacy policies.
Officials advised overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the disruptions to seek help at the OFW Facilitation Center at Terminal 2 Arrivals or the OWWA and DMW kiosks at Terminal 2 Departures.
The local flight issues reflected wider disruptions across the Middle East and parts of Europe.
The United Arab Emirates partially and temporarily closed its airspace, while Russia’s Ministry of Transport suspended flights to Iran and Israel.
Germany’s Lufthansa paused flights to and from Dubai and halted services to Tel Aviv and Beirut. Air France canceled similar routes, and Spain’s Iberia scrapped Tel Aviv flights.
Wizz Air suspended operations to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman.
Kuwait stopped flights to Iran, Oman Air suspended flights to Baghdad, and Qatar Airways temporarily halted air traffic as a precaution.
Major Gulf carriers Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad handle around 90,000 passengers daily.
Emirates said it is monitoring the situation, coordinating with authorities, and adjusting operations in compliance with regulatory guidance.
The Dubai government posted on X that passengers should not travel to the airport “at this time.”
The disruptions followed attacks in the region that affected airports.
Dubai International Airport sustained minor damage in an Iranian attack that injured four people, while Abu Dhabi International Airport reported one death and seven injuries, according to authorities.
Globally, flight cancellations and delays surged. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that 966 of 4,218 flights to Middle Eastern countries on Saturday were canceled, and 716 of 4,329 on Sunday were canceled.
FlightAware said over 18,000 flights were delayed worldwide, with more than 2,350 canceled as of Saturday night.
Photo from MCIA
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