An Emirates flight from Dubai to the UK city of Glasgow has been diverted to London Gatwick due to Storm Kathleen and affected passengers have been accommodated in a hotel.
Around 140 flights to and from the UK and Ireland have been cancelled due to gusts exceeding 110 kilometres per hour in the wake of Storm Kathleen, resulting in a major disruption to flights at Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and some other cities. The Met Office in the UK also issued a yellow weather warning on Saturday.
Following the diversion on April 6, the flight is scheduled to continue its journey to Glasgow on April 7, depending on the weather conditions.
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“Emirates can confirm flight EK027 from Dubai to Glasgow on April 6 diverted to London Gatwick due to adverse weather conditions. Affected passengers have been provided with hotel accommodation, and will continue their journey to Glasgow on April 7, subject to weather developments. Consequently, EK028 from Glasgow to Dubai has been rescheduled to April 7,” an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times.
“Emirates apologises for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our passengers and crew is of the utmost importance,” said the statement.
Among the UAE carriers, Dubai’s flagship Emirates Airline and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways operate direct flights to different cities across the UK.
London’s Heathrow Airport earlier issued a general advisory, asking passengers to arrive at the airport two hours before a European flight and three hours before a long-haul flight. “We ask passengers not to arrive earlier than these times as this may cause unnecessary congestion in the airport,” it said.