The Middle East’s biggest carrier, Emirates Airlines, has banned passengers travelling with pagers and walkie talkies amid heightened safety fears.

Emirates announced the change in an update for travellers on its website on Friday.

“All passengers travelling on flights to, from or via Dubai are prohibited from transporting pagers and walkie talkies in checked or cabin baggage. Such items found in passengers’ hand luggage or checked baggage will be confiscated by Dubai police,” it said.

The change follows last month’s devastating attacks in Lebanon on communications devices held by Hezbollah members. Dozens of people died and thousands more were injured in the twin days of mass blasts.

Israel has been blamed for the attacks, though it has made not official comment.

Emirates has also updated its guidance on travelling to Jordan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon as conflict in the region continues to escalate.

It said flights to and from Basra and Baghdad, in Iraq, and Tehran, in Iran, would resume on Monday (October 7).

“[However] customers transiting through Dubai with final destinations in Iraq and Iran will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until October 8,” it said on its website.

Flights two and from the Lebanese capital, Beirut, remain cancelled until at least next Tuesday (October 15).

“Customers transiting through Dubai with final destination Beirut will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice,” Emirates said.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation in the region and are in contact with the relevant authorities regarding developments.”

Its flights to Amman in Jordan resumed on Sunday.

Many of the world’s other major airlines have also halted or adjusted their Middle East flights. They include:

• Air France-KLM: Flights from Paris to Tel Aviv and to Beirut flights grounded until at least Tuesday (October 8)
• KLM: All flights to and from Tel Aviv cancelled until October 26
• Air India: Flights to and from Tel Aviv suspended until further notice
• Cathay Pacific: Hong Kong-based carrier has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 27, 2025
• Lufthansa Group: German airline group – which includes Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings – has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 31 and Beirut until November 30; flights to Tehran are suspended until October 14 for the group and until October 26 for Lufthansa
• Qatar Airways: All flights to and from Beirut remain suspended until further notice
• Lebanese airspace alerts: Britain has advised its airlines not to enter Lebanese airspace until November 4 citing “potential risk to aviation from military activity”.

Qantas is involved in rescue flights for Australians fleeing Lebanon via Cyprus. A 787 Dreamliner took off early on Monday.

It is expected to depart Larnaca on Monday night (local time) with up to 220 passengers onboard, and is due back in Sydney late on Tuesday.

Qantas said a second flight would leave Larnaca on Wednesday night (local time), and land back in Australia on Thursday.

Australians are also being brought home on Qatar Airways flights, the first of which is due to land in Sydney later on Monday.

-with AAP