Emirates Airlines has banned pagers and walkie-talkies on its flights in response to recent sabotage attacks in Lebanon, and has extended flight cancellations to various Middle East destinations due to escalating regional tensions.
The Dubai-based airline announced that “all passengers traveling to, from, or via Dubai are prohibited from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies in checked or cabin baggage.” This decision follows a series of explosions involving communication devices used by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has blamed Israel for the attacks.
In a statement on its website, Emirates warned that any such items found in passengers’ hand luggage or checked baggage would be confiscated by Dubai Police. The blasts last month resulted in at least 37 fatalities and nearly 3,000 injuries across Lebanon.
As the Middle East’s largest airline, Emirates also revealed that its routes to Iraq and Iran will remain suspended until Tuesday. These cancellations were first announced following a significant Iranian attack on Israel, which involved missile launches over Iraq and Iran.
Emirates stated that its flights to Jordan, previously suspended, will resume on Sunday. Meanwhile, flights to and from Lebanon will remain suspended until October 15, as Israel intensifies its operations in the region, including near Beirut’s only airport.
Several other airlines have similarly paused services to and from Beirut and other Middle Eastern airports.
