Heavy fog prompts Emirates to cancel ten flights

DUBAI, Dubai airline Emirates has cancelled ten flights on Sunday morning due to heavy fog and its rival Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways also said it expects delays, the two airlines said.

Christmas Eve is historically one of the busiest times for the UAE's airlines as people travel to celebrate the festive period.

Flights affected were between Dubai and Tehran, Bahrain, Dammam, Kuwait, Larnaca, Basra, Ammam, Budapest, Hong Kong and Baghdad, according to the airline's website.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said on its website it anticipated some flight delays and cancellations and that some return flights into Abu Dhabi were also expected to face disruption. Poor weather conditions had already led to delays and cancellations for some of Etihad's flights on Friday and Saturday, the airline said on its Twitter feed.

The National Centre of Meteorology said in an advisory that the fog formation is leading to poor visibility at times over internal and coastal areas of the country.