Finnair will operate relief flights from Muscat, Oman, to Helsinki, Finland.
The flights will transport around 1,200 passengers stranded in Dubai, with the first flight scheduled for March 10. Additional flights are expected to operate later in the week.
The flights will only be operated if Omani airspace is deemed safe. As Finnair has not previously operated flights to Muscat, the airline states that detailed preparations are required and will dispatch a support team to Muscat.
The first flight will carry about 300 people who were originally scheduled to travel on Finnair flights from Dubai to Helsinki between February 28 and March 9. Priority will be given to children, people in need of assistance, and elderly passengers, after which seats will be allocated according to the originally planned return dates. In coordination with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, passengers will be transported by bus to Muscat.
Finnair has also decided to cancel its Helsinki–Doha and Helsinki–Dubai routes until March 28. Many other airlines have also cancelled flights, and at present it is said to be extremely difficult to arrange alternative routings.
