Emirates airline has been forced to make changes to its pilot and cabin crew schedules, in the wake of President Donald Trump's >ban on immigration from several majority Muslim countries.
Pilots and flight attendants from the seven countries – Iraq, Syria, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen – included in the ban will no longer be able to work on flights to the U.S.
The airline told Reuters that it had made "the necessary adjustments to our crewing, to comply with the latest requirements."
Emirates is the world's largest long-haul airline and currently flies to 11 U.S. cities. Amidst the confusion following the American president's executive order, numerous stories emerged of individuals and families stranded in Dubai.
As the >busiest airport in the world for international traffic, the Dubai airport is a global crossroads and a gateway to the U.S. for millions of travelers.
"With regards to entry requirements for travel to/from the USA, Emirates continues to comply with the guidance provided to us by the US Customs and Border Protection," a spokesperson for Emirates told Arabian Business.
The spokesperson also explained that the airline is assisting affected passengers from the seven countries with booking new flights and providing refunds. Similarly, Abu Dhabi's flagship airline, Etihad Airways has "offered changes or refunds and rebooked passengers" affected by the ban, according to a spokesperson.
Other international airlines are facing similar issues and adjusting crew schedules as necessary.
A member of a German cabin crew union told Reuters that this is the first time in decades that the German airline Lufthansa has had to seriously "look at where people come from."