119 aircraft with an estimated market value of $12 billion were at risk after Dubai airport was targeted by a drone attack on Monday, according to analysis by Russell, a specialty risk intelligence company.
British Airways cancel Dubai flights until Summer
The news comes as British Airways have cancelled all flights to Dubai until at least June, making it the first major airline to do so.
British Airways, along with Emirates, mainly operate most of the flights from Heathrow to Dubai:
- Emirates – 4,476 flights
- British Airways – 2,168 flights
Dubai International Airport suffers big blow
Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport in passenger traffic is suffering from cancellations and diversions as the Iran war spreads across the region.
The airport records 440,236 flights annually, and is a significant hub for connecting flights across the region and beyond, as our analysis shows:
The most popular destinations from Dubai Airport
- Riyadh (15,766 flights)
- Jeddah (12,296 flights)
- Kuwait (10,872 flights)
- Bahrain (10,347 flights)
- Mumbai (10,302 flights)
- Delhi (9,351 flights)
- Tel-Aviv (8,671 flights
- Doha (8, 030 flights)
- London Heathrow Airport (7,266 flights)
- Muscat (7,253 flights)
What Happens Next
Chris Don, Head of Communications and External Affairs at Russell, commented on British Airways’ decision:
“This decision by British Airways confirms that the aviation sector is on the front line of the conflict in the Middle East, with no immediate end in sight. It is clear in their view that the war will continue for a significant period, with a significant risk to aircraft in the region as our analysis shows following Monday’s attack.
The longer that this conflict continues, the bigger the cost will be to everyone connected to the airline sector, their supply chain partners and indeed everyone within that discrete ecosystem, which includes insurance companies and investors. There is an increasingly urgent need for live data, which is something that (re)insurance underwriters are calling for to help them understand their exposures and how they can manage the risks”