Flights from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to Incheon that had been halted after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran have partially resumed. However, Korean Air Lines, the only domestic carrier operating nonstop routes to the Middle East, decided to extend its suspension through the 15th.
According to the aviation industry on the 6th, Emirates' Dubai-to-Incheon flight EK322 resumed operations early that morning.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 3:30 a.m. local time that day, but it took off at 6:39 a.m. after a delay of about three hours. The scheduled arrival time at Incheon International Airport is 7:30 p.m. that day.
However, Incheon-bound routes from the Middle East have not fully returned to normal. Etihad Airways' (EY) nonstop flights from Abu Dhabi to Incheon were canceled one after another.
Korean Air Lines extended the suspension period for the Incheon–Dubai route from the 8th to the 15th. A Korean Air Lines official said, "The Dubai airport authority has notified us of a flight ban through the 15th," adding, "We plan to monitor the local situation and decide later whether to resume operations."
The government also began diplomatic consultations to normalize flights. Minister Cho Hyun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a full meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly that day, "I spoke last night with the UAE foreign minister and requested the resumption of direct UAE civilian flights to Incheon," adding, "We expect air service to resume starting today."
It also said it is preparing to deploy chartered flights, given that about 3,000 Korean nationals are currently staying in the region.