Emirates suspends flights to South Africa, Australia

Dubai - The airline cited 'operational reasons' for the suspension.

Dubai carrier Emirates Airlines has suspended flights to South Africa and Australia for operational reasons, the airline announced over the weekend.

Flights to and from South Africa will temporarily be suspended from January 16 to January 28 due to operational reasons. The last three flights to three South African destinations – Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg departed from Dubai on January 15. Passengers holding tickets with final destinations in South Africa from January 16 to January 28 will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin.

Similarly, flights to Australia's three largest cities have also been suspended due to operational reasons.

The announcement on the website added: "Customers holding tickets with final destinations Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin after the completion of the above flights.”

It said, “Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused. Affected customers should contact their travel agent or Emirates contact centre for rebooking options. To receive update notifications, customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting Manage Your Booking."

Emirates’ last flights to/from these Australian destinations are below:

Dubai ‑ Melbourne ‑ EK408/19JAN

Melbourne – Dubai ‑ EK409/20JAN