Coronavirus: UAE dismisses rumours that all flights to and from country will be suspended

Rumours circulating on social media are not true, said the General Civil Aviation Authority

Embassies in the UAE worked around the clock to arrange repatriation flights for citizens. Prior registration with embassies and consulates is no longer required with residents returning home able to book tickets online amid the coronavirus pandemic. ReutersShow less

UAE officials have dismissed rumours that all flights in and out of the country are to be suspended amid concerns over the spread of Covid-19.

The General Civil Aviation Authority - a federal body which regulates all air travel in the Emirates - said the claims made on social media were not true.

It urged the public to “refrain from spreading rumours and to obtain information from trusted sources”.

Emirates also moved to assure passengers that flights would not be grounded.

In a post on Twitter, the airline said "there was no truth" to the claims.

Non-essential foreign travel has been discouraged by the UAE authorities, and several routes have been suspended by airlines based here.

They include direct flights to Iran, while Etihad Airways has announced that it will be temporarily suspending all flights to and from a string of destinations, including Milan and Rome in Italy, from Saturday, March 14 onwards.

Other suspended routes include Shanghai, Chengdu, Hong Kong in China; Nagoya in Japan via Beijing; Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina in Saudi Arabia, as well as Kuwait City, Istanbul; Beirut; Casablanca and Rabat in Morocco; Madrid and Barcelona in Spain; and Amman in Jordan.

All flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Turkey were also suspended, beginning March 17, when it would also "temporarily suspend" issuing most visas into the country.

Authorities said only those with diplomatic passports and people eligible for visa-on-arrival would be exempt from the move.

A number of countries in the region have temporarily suspended all international flights, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, to combat the spread of the virus.