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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 have been 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 in 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 logistical nightmare, said Dennis Bunnik, co-CEO of Adelaide-based travel agency Bunnik Tours. “Behind the scenes throughout the travel industry, there are lots of people frantically trying to come up with solutions for every passenger.
“The airlines have got aircraft, crew and passengers all over the world in places where they shouldn’t be. So once airspace opens, it’s going to take quite a few days to get everything back to normal.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said there were 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.
“The fastest way we can try to get people home is if commercial flights recommence,” Wong told Channel Seven’s Sunrise. “That’s where you get the volume and the scale. And we hope that we will see that in the coming days and weeks.”
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.
Sydney Airport was forced to keep its terminals open on Saturday night for stranded passengers to sleep in. The disruption coincided with the Sydney gay and lesbian Mardi Gras festival for which many hotels were already fully booked.
“While some international services have been disrupted, the airport is operating as normal,” an airport spokeswoman said.
Qantas said there was “currently no impact to Qantas-operated flights, including flights between Singapore and London”.
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.
Virgin is offering free changes, or a travel credit or refund, for passengers on Doha-bound services up March 6 who no longer wish to travel.
Etihad has suspended all flights to and from Abu Dhabi until 9pm (AEDT).
Passengers with Etihad tickets issued on or before February 28, with original travel dates up to March 3, “may rebook free of charge onto Etihad-operated flights up to March 15, 2026”.
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 Australia’s 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. “For those who are due to travel in five days or a week from now, it’s a matter of holding tight and waiting for the airline to provide more guidance.”
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 they’re waiving fees, and “it’s not going to cost you anything”.
Consumer Champion’s Adam Glezer agreed, warning travellers that cancelling a flight “may forfeit the limited consumer protections we currently have in Australia”.
“Australians booked Virgin flights to Doha before the current conflict began … once services resume, many travellers will understandably feel unsafe travelling, and they shouldn’t be penalised by being denied the option of a refund,” Glezer said.
“Our 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.”
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.
“We’re all hoping that the current action there will lead to a more permanent peace in the Gulf. Once that’s achieved, I think those primary hub ports of Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi will bounce back pretty quickly,” Bunnik said.
“I 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.”
With Nick Newling
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Chris Zappone is a senior reporter covering aviation and business. He is former digital foreign editor.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners
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