Flights and airspace in the UAE haven't been going as smoothly as expected since the start of the year. Over the weekend, the country experienced internal troubles and cancelations following a heavy rainstorm that left Dubai International Airport flooding. And then a day later, the country experienced external problems with its flights to and from the Philippines following the eruption of Taal Volcano there, a first since 1977.
On Monday, both Emirates and Etihad Airways canceled their flights to the Asian country. A day prior, Oman Air suspended all flights to and from Manila "until further notice," providing passengers with refunds and flight transfers on flights booked on or before Jan. 12 all the way through Jan. 22.
As for passengers booked on Etihad, they were provided with hotel accommodation following the cancelation of the flights. In addition to the four Etihad flights that were canceled on Monday, another flight from Manila to Abu Dhabi was canceled on Tuesday as well.
On Monday, Emirates canceled five flights to Manila: EK332, EK333, EK338, EK334, and EK335.
In a statement posted on Emirates' website, it was announced that all flights to Manila, Clark, and Cebu have resumed as of Jan. 14. Customers have the option to adjust their dates up to seven days for all Emirates tickets issued on or before Jan. 12.
Manila's main international airport was shut down on Sunday after a volcano erupted south of the capital. The ash, which was reported to have blown 1km upwards, forced the closure of the country's largest airport, affecting several international flights to and from Manila. According to Khaleej Times, around 500 flights were affected.
Around 8,000 residents were evacuated as soon as the Taal Volcano began to rumble.
The partial reopening of the airport has allowed for some flights to resume operations including both Emirates and Etihad Airways.
Following the cancelation of the flights, many people took to Twitter to express their disappointment at the airlines' handling of the situation. But it seems all has been sorted out since.