• In the video above: German experiences explosion – rocket attack on Dubai luxury hotel

Lufthansa plane took off from Abu Dhabi to Munich without passengers

11.10 a.m.: At 10:21 a.m. German time, a Lufthansa A380 took off from Abu Dhabi for Munich. The flight with the registration DLH9851 is currently traveling over Oman.

“The Airbus A380 D-AIMK from Lufthansa has completed necessary maintenance in Abu Dhabi and took off on Monday morning (March 2) under the special flight number LH 9851 as a pure ferry flight to Munich,” said Lufthansa.

“Passenger transport has been examined,” but unfortunately it is not possible, Lufthansa continued. There are therefore only two pilots on board for the technical transfer flight. A cabin crew of at least 17 people, which is absolutely necessary for the safety and care of passengers, is not available and cannot be flown in due to the current massive restrictions on air traffic in the United Arab Emirates, explained a company spokeswoman.

“Without a flight attendant, passenger transport is legally and safety-related impossible. In addition, due to the current dynamic situation, accessibility to Abu Dhabi Airport for potential passengers is unclear and difficult to organize. Reliable planning of check-in, security checks and boarding cannot be guaranteed under these circumstances,” it continues.

Due to the ongoing danger situation in the area, most flights from Abu Dhabi have been canceled.

Qatar Airways extends flight suspension

9:00 a.m.: The golf airline continues to suspend flight operations. The reason is the ongoing closure of the airspace over Qatar. Qatar Airways will only resume operations once the national aviation authority confirms it is safe to reopen. Another update is scheduled for Tuesday (March 3) at 9:00 a.m. local time.

Passengers are encouraged to check the current status of their flights via the airline’s website or app. According to the airline, safety is a top priority.

A travel warning currently applies to the following countries and regions, among others:

• Israel/Palestinian Territories
• Lebanon
• Jordan
• Syria
• Iraq
• Iran
• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• Oman
• United Arab Emirates
• Saudi Arabia
• Qatar
• Yemen

Travelers should urgently stay in the hotel

The German Travel Association (DRV) advises, “Organizer guests should follow the instructions of the local authorities and, as a matter of urgency, stay in their booked hotel and not go to the airport or to the neighboring country on their own.”

Tourists are also stuck in the region’s ports on cruise ships – for example on “Mein Schiff 4” and “Mein Schiff 5” from the German provider Tui Cruises with a possible capacity for a total of around 5,000 travelers. “Due to the continued dynamic situation in the region and limited flight connections, we are currently dependent on the information from the airlines to clarify whether and when return flights can take place,” it says on the website. “As soon as we have reliable information on this, we will coordinate the next steps closely with our partners.”

30,000 travelers affected by German tour operators

According to the DRV, around 30,000 travelers from German tour operators are currently affected by the situation. You are currently in the region or your flights from other regions of the world should go through the hubs in the region. It is unclear exactly how many Germans are currently in the Gulf region.

The Foreign Office said on Sunday that a low five-digit number of affected Germans in the Gulf region had so far been registered in the crisis preparedness list – i.e. more than 10,000 people. These can be holidaymakers or Germans living abroad; registration is voluntary.

No quick evacuation: What the federal government advises

Instead of a quick evacuation, the federal government is relying on information services and consular support. “All embassies and all foreign missions are open. We are working intensively to be there with information.” At “Caren Miosga” Wadephul also said that precautions must be taken “to make it possible to leave these countries by other means”.

In addition, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said that the ministry “is monitoring the situation in the region very closely. The Foreign Office is also in close and constant contact with the embassies in the region.” And she added: “Travellers in the region are called upon to check commercial exit options and to obtain information directly from tour operators and airlines.”

In addition, German citizens in the region should be on the crisis preparedness list “Elephant” Register. With the data stored there, an embassy can contact you in an emergency and offer support if necessary. “This also applies to travelers who are affected by the airspace closures,” said the spokeswoman for the Foreign Office. “Everyone is called upon to follow the instructions of the local authorities with regard to the necessary measures for self-protection.”

United Arab Emirates covers hotel costs

At airports such as Dubai, air traffic was suspended on Saturday until further notice. According to the General Authority for Civil Aviation, airports and national airlines in the United Arab Emirates have already served around 20,200 passengers whose flights had to be postponed.

Temporary accommodation, meals and refreshments were provided. In addition, the United Arab Emirates wants to cover “all accommodation and food costs for affected and stranded passengers,” the authority said.

In Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Ministry announced that, at the suggestion of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Salman had approved the accommodation of all Gulf state citizens stranded in the country at airports until their safe return to their homeland was possible.

Travel provider sets up crisis hotline

According to their own statements, travel providers also take care of their guests, especially on site through tour guides. Dertour, for example, has also set up a crisis hotline – for travelers stuck in the Middle East as well as those affected by flight cancellations worldwide. “Our crisis management is in close contact with the responsible authorities at home and abroad and with the airlines and the local coordination units,” it says on the website.

For the time being, however, there remains a lot of uncertainty – and not just when it comes to the question of when the journey can continue. A traveler from Hamburg who was stranded in Dubai on the Emirates airline returning from Malaysia reported on Sunday that she saw columns of smoke over the city from her hotel. Several people told her that there was debris at the airport.

A smaller four-digit number of EU citizens are still in Iran

It is estimated that there are still a few thousand people in Iran who are citizens of an EU member state, a senior EU official in Brussels said. However, many of them also have Iranian citizenship and do not necessarily want to leave the country, she added. She did not provide precise information on the number of people who wanted to be evacuated.

According to the information, significantly more people with EU nationality are involuntarily stuck in countries around Iran because their flights were canceled due to airspace closures. To best help them, an EU consular cooperation network has been activated to facilitate the coordination of evacuation efforts.