Extreme winter weather in the UK on Sunday caused a London flight from Dubai to be diverted to Amsterdam.
Emirates flight EK009 to Gatwick Airport was rerouted to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport after the runway at England's second busiest airport was closed for snow removal.
“Due to ongoing slot delays from Amsterdam, a night stop has been declared for (flight) EK009. Passengers have been provided with accommodation in Amsterdam," a representative for the airline told The National on Monday. "We are monitoring the situation and will work to get our passengers to their destinations as soon as possible. Emirates apologises for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our passengers and crew is of the utmost importance."
Dozens of flights at London airports were cancelled on Sunday as snow and ice blanketed the country in its first winter weather cold snap. Flights were also suspended at London's Stansted Airport after authorities had to temporarily close the runway.
A yellow weather warning from the Met Office remains in place until 11am on Tuesday.
Emirates and Etihad confirmed that no other flights from the UAE have been cancelled or diverted due to the wintry weather.
Emirates operates three A380 flights from Dubai to London Gatwick and six daily flights to London Heathrow. It also flies to four other destinations across the UK, including Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow.
An airline representative said that travellers may face minor delays on some Emirates services “due to ground impairments caused by the inclement weather”.
Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national airline, confirmed that flights from the capital to the UK continue to operate as normal. The airline operates four daily flights from Abu Dhabi to London, and daily services to Manchester.
Gatwick Airport has advised all travellers to check the status of their flights with airlines before leaving for the airport.
“Snow and freezing weather may cause disruption at the airport. Passengers are advised to check flight status with their airline — and also local travel conditions — before departing for the airport,” said authorities on their website.
London's Stansted has reopened and is operational again, but travel might still be affected by “cold weather” said the airport on Twitter. It urged people to contact their airline for flight information.
Other travellers have faced cancellations following the UK's first major flurry of wintry weather this year.
British Airways cancelled several flights from London Heathrow on Sunday and Monday, and the UK's busiest airport also recorded cancellations for Iberia, Aer Lingus and Eurowings.
Low-cost airline Ryanair apologised for travel disruption on Twitter, and said that the weather-related disruptions were “entirely beyond our control”.
