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Travellers heading to Lebanon should expect disruption to travel plans after more airlines announced changes to Beirut flight schedules.
Emirates is the latest airline to amend its flights. The Dubai carrier is no longer accepting transit passengers to Beirut. Due to rising tensions in the region, passengers transiting through Dubai to Beirut on Thursday and Friday will not be accepted for flights.
Passengers starting their journey in Dubai or Beirut will be allowed to travel, and Emirates flights to and from Lebanon are operating to schedule.
Flydubai has also announced changes. The Dubai airline has reduced services to Beirut airport and will operate only two flights on Thursday and Friday, down from its scheduled three flights per day.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely,” added a spokesperson from the airline.
From the UAE capital, Etihad Airways is operating flights to and from Lebanon as normal, confirmed a spokesperson for the national airline on Thursday morning.
Middle East Airlines continues to experience minor flight delays. On Thursday, the Lebanese carrier said services from Dubai, London, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Copenhagen continue to be impacted by the situation.
If you're due to travel to or from Lebanon in the near future, here's what you need to know.
Can people still travel to Beirut from the UAE?
Travellers with confirmed direct flights can continue to fly to and from Beirut International Airport and the UAE. The airport in Lebanon is operating normally, despite rising tensions, and flights continue to arrive and depart regularly.
Passengers due to transit in Dubai with Emirates from another destination en route to Beirut cannot travel to Lebanon at this time. These travellers should not go to the airport as they will be denied boarding.
From Abu Dhabi, travellers with confirmed flights can continue to fly to Lebanon, even as transit passengers.
Which international airlines have cancelled flights to Lebanon?
International airlines were among the first to begin cancelling flights to and from the Lebanese capital after Israel vowed retaliation following an attack on Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
On Tuesday, Aegean Airlines grounded all flights to and from Beirut airport until at least Thursday citing “the current situation in the Middle East”.
Air France has also cancelled flights between Paris and the Lebanese capital, as has Swiss International Air Lines, Eurowings and Lufthansa.
Middle East Airlines has announced minor changes to its flight schedule all week, citing that disruptions are related to “insurance risks”.
In Jordan, after cancelling all flights to Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday, Royal Jordanian Airlines resumed all flights to the Lebanese capital on Thursday morning.
My Beirut flight has been cancelled, what should I do?
Flydubai has cancelled some flights to Lebanon. The airline will no longer operate its third service of the day due to depart DXB just before 11pm on Thursday and Friday. Flydubai is contacting passengers impacted by this change.
Other passengers with cancelled flights to or from Lebanon who booked directly with an airline, should contact that airline for rebooking options.
Travellers who made their reservations via a travel agent should reach out to the booking agent for clarity on what options are available.
Where can I find out the latest information about Beirut flights?
Airlines are contacting passengers impacted by flight cancellations so passengers should ensure their contact details with the airline are accurate.
Travellers should also check the status of their flight before going to the airport as the situation in the region is an evolving one, and travel to and from other destinations may be impacted.
Are other airports in the region impacted by flight cancellations?
Two US airlines have cancelled flights to and from Israel from Thursday. United Airlines and Delta are no longer operating to Tel Aviv amid escalating tensions.
"Beginning with this evening’s flight from Newark Liberty to Tel Aviv, we are suspending for security reasons our daily Tel Aviv service as we evaluate our next steps," said United Airlines on Wednesday. "We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make decisions on resuming service with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews."
Despite some media reports suggesting otherwise, British Airways has not suspended flights to Israel. “Our flights to Tel Aviv are currently operating as planned," confirmed a spokesperson for the UK airline on Thursday.
What travel warnings are in place for travel to Lebanon?
Several countries have issued travel warnings for Lebanon as the situation intensifies.
On Monday, the British Embassy in Beirut said on X that it was “advising British nationals to leave Lebanon and not to travel to the country”.
US citizens have also been advised to reconsider travel to the region at this time, via advice from the US embassy in Lebanon.
Other countries that have urged citizens to reconsider travel plans or exercise caution include France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium and Denmark.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
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