TUI has provided an update for its customers amid estimates that Britons are being affected by the airspace restrictions over the Middle East.

Significant travel disruption has hit airlines, with numerous flights cancelled departing from the UK to Middle Eastern destinations, following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend. This prompted the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to advise “against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates”, with TUI amongst the airlines experiencing delayed or cancelled flights.

Following the disruption, TUI confirmed it is now collaborating with airlines Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways to provide flights home to Brits stranded in the Middle East. They stated the flights would commence from Tuesday (March 3).

“We expect to carry out the first flights today with these companies to return our guests,” CEO of TUI Group, Sebastian Ebel, told broadcaster NTV.

On Tuesday (March 3), a TUI spokesperson told the Express: “The safety of our customers is our highest priority, and we are closely monitoring the evolving situation in the Middle East and the latest guidance from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

“We ask that customers currently in impacted destinations continue to follow the local advice and avoid any non-essential travel.

“Our teams are working with our airline partners to assess the situation and make arrangements to bring customers back to the UK as soon as it is safe to do so.”

At the time of writing, TUI has also released a statement concerning travel to Cyprus, though cautioned it remains ‘subject to change’ alongside its policy. A spokesperson for the tour operator said: “The safety of our customers is our highest priority, and we are closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East and surrounding regions.

“We are currently operating our Cyprus program as planned, but as this is an evolving situation, that could be subject to change.”

The carrier has no scheduled flights to Cyprus until Wednesday.

It’s also worth noting that at the time of writing, the FCDO has not issued a ‘do not travel’ warning to Cyprus. The Foreign Office guidance for Cyprus was last updated on the morning of 2 March but remains current as of 3 March.

The guidance reads: “On 2 March 2026, the Sovereign Base Areas Administration confirmed a suspected drone impact at RAF Akrotiri. British nationals in the Sovereign Base Areas should follow instructions from the Sovereign Base Areas Administration British Bases Cyprus Facebook. British nationals in the Republic of Cyprus should follow any instructions from Cypriot local authorities. However, the FCDO highlights that the regional escalation “poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption”.