Thousands of Australian travellers are still stranded as airlines cancel flights into and out of the Middle East, two days after Israel and the US launched an aerial bombardment of Iran.
The disruption has left many Australians stuck in airports abroad, while travel plans for those departing Australia are upended as the conflict rages.
More than half of all scheduled arrivals to Middle East destinations were cancelled on Monday, data from aviation analytics company Cirium shows, after Iran struck targets through the region, including hub airports and hotels, in response to the attack.
The attacks prompted 29 aircraft from Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad to return to Australian airports or remain grounded on Saturday.
The situation was a โlogistical nightmareโ, said Dennis Bunnik, co-CEO of Adelaide-based travel agency Bunnik Tours. โBehind the scenes throughout the travel industry, there are lots of people frantically trying to come up with solutions for every passenger.
โThe airlines have got aircraft, crew and passengers all over the world in places where they shouldnโt be. So once airspace opens, itโs going to take quite a few days to get everything back to normal.โ
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said there are 115,000 Australians in the Middle East, with 11,000 transiting through the region each day.
Wong said a portal had been established for Australians in Iran, Israel, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which she encouraged citizens to access for assistance or information.
โThe fastest way we can try to get people home is if commercial flights recommence. You know, thatโs where you get the volume and the scale. And we hope that we will see that in the coming days and weeks,โ Wong told Channel Sevenโs Sunrise.
Middle East airlines serving Australian passengers travelling to and from Europe were hit hard by the closure of airspace in the Persian Gulf that shut off the vital Asia-to-Europe corridor.
Virgin Australia partner Qatar Airways, with a hub in Doha, cancelled six flights scheduled to fly between Australia and Qatar on Monday, saying affected passengers will be notified directly. One flight departing Perth is not cancelled.
Qantas said there is โcurrently no impact to Qantas-operated flights, including flights between Singapore and Londonโ.
The Australian carrier is offering flexibility for customers who booked flights on partner airlines to, from, or via the UAE, Qatar, Israel, Jordan and Oman. Those passengers can access fee-free refunds, flight credits or date changes for flights booked on or before March 1 for travel between March 1 and 5, Qantas said, noting a fare difference may apply.
Etihad has suspended all flights to and from Abu Dhabi until 9pm AEDT. The airline urged passengers to check their flight status at www.etihad.com before travelling to the airport.
Passengers with Etihad tickets issued on or before February 28, with original travel dates up to March 3, โmay rebook free of charge onto Etihad-operated flights up to March 15, 2026โ.
Travellers booked on flights until March 3 might request a full refund, the airline said.
Qatar Airways said it would offer free booking changes, or a travel credit or refund, for passengers booked on Virgin Australiaโs Doha services in the coming days up to and including March 6, who no longer wish to travel.
The situation is evolving, Qatar said, with further updates to come. Qatar flights include: VA1 (Sydney-Doha), VA2 (Doha-Sydney), VA7 (Melbourne-Doha), VA8 (Doha-Melbourne), VA16 (Doha-Brisbane), and VA22 (Doha-Perth).
Emirates, which operates 70 weekly flights between Australia and Dubai, has suspended all operations to and from the hub until 10pm AEDT on Monday.
Bunnik said passengers booked over the next couple of days should stay in touch with their airline or travel agent. โFor those who are due to travel in five days or a week from now, itโs a matter of holding tight and waiting for the airline to provide more guidance.โ
Cancelling a flight now could mean the airline will charge cancellation fees, Bunnik said. In three or four days, airlines might move into a period where theyโre waiving fees, and โitโs not going to cost you anythingโ.
Consumer Advocateโs Adam Glezer agreed, warning travellers that cancelling a flight โmay forfeit the limited consumer protections we currently have in Australiaโ.
โAustralians booked Virgin flights to Doha before the current conflict began … once services resume, many travellers will understandably feel unsafe travelling, and they shouldnโt be penalised by being denied the option of a refund,โ Glezer said.
โOur consumer laws are so fragile that airlines can still choose not to offer refunds. The last thing we need is a repeat of the issues we saw during COVID.โ
Bunnik said the disruption was unlikely to have a long-term impact on the Gulf carriers serving Australia. He said it would be seen as just another disruption for the industry.
โWeโre all hoping that the current action there will lead to a more permanent peace in the Gulf. Once thatโs achieved, I think those primary hub ports of Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi will bounce back pretty quickly,โ Bunnik said.
โI think that over the long term, those Gulf carriers will continue to do well, basically because of the size of their operations, the quality of their service and their geographic location.โ
Chris Zappone is a senior reporter covering aviation and business. He is former digital foreign editor.Connect via X, Facebook or email.
