Emirates airline halted flights to Tunisia from December 25, following instructions from the North African country’s authorities.
A tweet from Emirates’ official account read: “Emirates will stop services between Tunis and Dubai, as instructed by the Tunisian authorities, with effect from 25 December 2017.”
BBC reported that Tunisia had banned Emirates airline after a number of Tunisian women were prevented from boarding its flights.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said that officials from the UAE had met authorities in Tunisia to discuss certain “security information.”
“We have met with the brothers in Tunisia for security information as they have imposed specific and circumstantial measures. In the UAE, we are proud of our experience in empowering women; we appreciate Tunisian women, respect them and value their pioneering experience,” Gargash said in a tweet, according to a Khaleej Times report.
The Tunisian transport ministry said it has suspended Emirates flights to Tunis until the airline finds the appropriate solution to operate flights “in accordance with international law and agreements”.
According to Tunisias state news agency TAP, the UAE has information that Tunisian women or women traveling on Tunisian passports might commit “terrorist acts” in the Gulf country. The barring has caused anger among rights groups and political parties in Tunisia. A protest was scheduled outside the UAEs embassy in Tunis.