Some 1,400 tourists have been stranded at the Velana International Airport (VIA) due to flight cancellations after the airspace was closed off in the Middle East.

Middle Eastern countries closed their airspace following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran yesterday morning (February 28). Iran retaliated with attacks on US bases in Arab countries.

Tourism Minister Ibrahim Thoriq, who was at the airport to meet the stranded tourists, told reporters that eight flights had been cancelled and two had not departed.

Most tourists wanted to return to their resorts or guesthouses, while others wanted another return flight back to their home countries or to stay in the airport.

Thoriq said the government was trying to facilitate tourists to return to their resorts. He did not provide additional details.

The former domestic terminal has been arranged to accommodate the stranded tourists.

Airlines that suspended flights include Emirates, Qatar Airways and Fly Dubai. These are the airlines that carry the largest number of passengers in the Maldives.

The Tourism Ministry and the airport urged passengers and tourist service providers to ensure the flight status before heading to the airport.