Blackpool travel agent issues statement amid Middle East tension and Dubai airport closures

Dubai International (DXB) Airport and Fairmont The Palm Hotel were among the Dubai locations hit following missile strikes, in retaliation to the war launched against Iran by the US and Israel.

As a result of the ongoing conflict, the Foreign Office is advising British nationals to avoid all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE, with airspace closures leaving hundreds of thousands of people stranded across the Middle East.

As holidaymakers with trips booked to the likes of Dubai await further updates in the coming days, Odisea Travel in Blackpool has issued a message to its customers.

In an update on social media on Sunday (March 1), a spokesperson for Odisea Travel said: “As tensions continue across the Middle East, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has updated their current advice and now advices against all but essential travel to the UAE, Qatar & Bahrain.

“We completely understand that many of you with an upcoming booking to the region has concerns about travel.

“However, we kindly ask that you hold off on making any changes to future bookings for the time being as this will allow your Tour Operator/airline to deal with the most urgent cases, and following official guidance to prioritise getting customers home who are currently in resort in the UAE or travelling back to the UK via the UAE.”

Odisea Travel noted that, at the time of writing, ‘close to half a million’ passengers were requiring urgent assistance and re-arrangements.

They added: “Please rest assured that we’re closely monitoring official updates regarding future travel and will share any new information as soon as we receive it. If you do have a booking that is impacted we will be in touch as soon as possible.”

The latest travel advice from the FCDO can be found here.