Twenty three flights including both arrivals and departures were cancelled at Velana International Airport today as airspace across much of the Middle East remained closed amid escalating unrest.
The affected services include flights operated by Emirates, Flydubai, Gulf Air, Air Arabia, Etihad and Qatar Airways from major Middle Eastern cities.
Several flights were also cancelled on Saturday, leaving around 1,400 tourists stranded at the airport.
Tourism Minister Thoriq Ibrahim visited the airport to assess the situation and told state media PSM that arrangements had been made through Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) to assist passengers unable to depart.
MACL provided blankets and sleeping bags for stranded travelers. Many remained in the former domestic terminal and in the air-conditioned area below the restaurant opposite the domestic terminal.
All flights between the Maldives and Middle Eastern destinations have been suspended amid fears of a wider regional war following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
