Airline companies in the UAE said they were doing everything they could to help passengers caught in the midst of the 90-day temporary US entry ban imposed by President Donald Trump against seven Muslim-majority countries.
Emirates airline said it has made some changes to its flight crews to accommodate the temporary ban to avoid problems for some crew on flights to America.
Unconfirmed reports suggest as many as 300 passengers from various parts of the world have been stranded at airports while in transit after being denied entry to flights bound for the US because they hold passports from the seven banned Muslim majority countries.
“The recent change to the US entry requirements for nationals of seven countries applies to all travellers and flight crew. To date, no Emirates crew has been impacted by the change. We have made the necessary adjustments to our crewing, to comply with the latest requirements. Emirates continues to operate flights to the US as scheduled,” an Emirates spokesperson said.
Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi said it is working to help impacted passengers avoid serious problems.
Part of the confusion stemming from the US order is already being addressed in Abu Dhabi given that Abu Dhabi Airports set up a US pre-clearance facility several years ago which clears passengers for US Customs in the UAE capital.
Pre-clearance in the UAE will help avoid anyone who is potentially banned from making the long trans-Atlantic flight to American destinations and then being turned away by customs officials in US cities.
An Etihad Airways spokesperson said, “A number of our passengers have been affected and we are continuing to assist them to identify issues before they fly to the USA. Where permitted, the airline has offered changes or refunds and rebooked passengers, as per our updated policy.”
“Our flight crews were unaffected and we have taken steps to ensure there will be no issues for flights departing over the coming weeks. For passengers who are looking for more information, we encourage them to contact the US Consulate or visit the US Customs and Border Protection website.,” the spokesperson added.
