Emirates maintains normal services

Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, has said it is continuing to operate normal services despite the start of hostilities in Iraq.

The airline went live today with additional website pages, set up to provide full information, updated regularly, on any changes which may be made to its scheduled flights as a result of military activity in the region.

Maurice Flanagan, Emirates Group Managing Director, said: "Safety remains a top priority. The airline will monitor the situation 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure, in every way we can, the well being of our flight and  cabin crews and our passengers.

"We are using alternative routes where necessary. These are well-established and recognised as safe by all international aviation authorities. Emirates has never flown over Iraq, even under normal  conditions, and none of our routes takes our aircraft near to that country."

From Dubai, there are a number of different air routes eastwards and westwards which are long established and recognised by international authorities. An airline's use of alternative routes is not restricted to times of conflict, sometimes a routing is varied to avoid poor weather conditions.

During the past few months, Emirates has prepared meticulous plans to route aircraft heading east and west along corridors which are safe and secure even in the event of military activity in Iraq. These options ensure that Emirates carries its passengers in safety and security, well clear from hostilities, to their destinations.

Flights to Europe, for example, can be routed north over Iran, Georgia and then west over the Black Sea or they can be routed in a more easterly direction over southern Saudi Arabia. Flights to the Pacific Rim can be moved to a more northerly route, again over Iran.