Singapore Airlines and its low-cost carrier Scoot have extended cancellations on several Middle East routes, with some services suspended through March 15 as tensions linked to the Iran conflict continue to worsen.
Flights SQ494 (Singapore–Dubai) and SQ495 (Dubai–Singapore) will remain cancelled until March 15 because of the “geopolitical situation in the Middle East,” Singapore Airlines said in a statement Thursday.
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A Singapore Airlines plane is parked besides a Scoot passenger plane on the terminal tarmac at Singapore Changi Airport in Singapore on March 15, 2021. Photo by AFP |
Scoot also announced that flights TR596 (Singapore–Jeddah) and TR597 (Jeddah–Singapore) scheduled for March 9 and March 10 will be cancelled. The low-cost airline operates services to Jeddah four times a week. The flights have been suspended since Feb. 28.
“As the situation remains fluid, other Singapore Airlines flights may be affected,” the airline said.
Passengers affected by the cancellations will be placed on alternative flights. They may also choose to receive a full refund for the unused portion of their tickets.
“Customers are also strongly advised to update their contact details via the manage booking function on our website or subscribe to a mobile notification service to receive updates to their flight status.”
As countries work to bring their citizens home, a limited number of outbound flights from the United Arab Emirates resumed this week, operated by long-haul carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively.
The first plane carrying Singapore residents stranded in the Middle East arrived on Thursday morning, according to Channel News Asia.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Gan Siow Huang said on Thursday that Singapore will run repatriation flights from Muscat, Oman on Saturday and Sunday
She added that around a quarter of Singaporeans who have e-registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have requested assistance to return home since the conflict began.
Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim said on Thursday that he had contacted more than 40 Singaporean students studying in countries including Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to “check on their welfare, safety and well-being.”
The students are “safe, with minimal disruptions to their studies”, he wrote in a Facebook post.
