More than 100,000 Australians remain stranded in the Middle East as conflict between Iran, the US and Israel escalates. This staggering number of citizens has triggered what Foreign Minister Penny Wong describes as “a consular crisis” that leaves the government scrambling to coordinate a massive repatriation effort.
With major hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar facing airspace closures and flight cancellations, the government is still largely counting on commercial aviation to repatriate the Australians. There are important points for affected Australians and their families to know.
I’m stuck in the Middle East and want to go home. What options do I have?
Unfortunately, waiting for airlines to resume flights is likely to be the best course of action. Many flights out of the region remain on hold, though some flights from Dubai have resumed.
One Sydney-bound Emirates flight took off from Dubai around 9.20am (AEDT) and is expected to land in Sydney after 10.30pm on Wednesday.
Dubai-based Emirates is conducting 48 flights per hour through what the United Arab Emirates deems “safe corridors” with expectations to increase to 80 per hour. Emirates will accommodate customers with earlier bookings as a priority on these limited flights, it said.
All of Etihad Airways’ scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended until 2pm UAE time on Thursday March 5 (9pm Thursday Sydney time).
Virgin-partner Qatar Airways remains temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.
“Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace,” the airline said.
All flights from Qatar to Australia are cancelled through Friday.
A further update will be provided on Thursday by 9am Doha time, or 5pm Sydney time.
Airlines are generally waiving rebooking fees for people caught up in the suspensions. Insurers typically don’t cover acts of war.
What other routes can I take?
If you can get out of the region via land, travel to Saudi Arabia or Oman, located on the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, where there are options to travel to Australia via Asia.
Another way to get home would be travel from the Middle East to Europe, then back to Australia via Asia.
Airlines that serve Asia from Europe include Singapore Airlines (via Singapore), Cathay Pacific (via Hong Kong), Malaysia Airlines (via Kuala Lumpur), Thai Airways (via Bangkok), China Southern/China Eastern (via Chinese cities) and EVA Air/China Airlines (via Taipei).
Qantas’s direct flight to London via Perth stops in Singapore, allowing it to add 60 more passengers there.
“The majority of Europe to Australia flight connections operate via Asian hubs, not the Middle East, including Singapore, Hong Kong, and other major regional airports, with these routes continuing to operate normally,” said Melissa Elf, global chief operating officer, FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller.
One Australian based in Saudi Arabia said their planned trip back to Melbourne this week was complicated by Qatar’s hub Hamad International Airport closing.
“The only realistic solution was to fly to Jeddah [Saudi Arabia], and then on to Thailand, which offers easy connections to Australia.”
“There are still plenty of options at a reasonable price, but you do need to be more creative.”
Is the government going to send repatriation flights?
Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Tuesday Australia was exploring unspecified “contingencies”. If the government were to assist with evacuation flights, they would probably be operating in the contested airspace where the conflict is occurring, which has added to the complexity.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has opened a portal for Australians who find themselves in Israel, Iran, United Arab Emirates and Qatar to register themselves, notifying the Australian government of their whereabouts.
Once registered, the information is fed into the DFAT crisis centre, which allows it to know how many people want to leave and from where.
DFAT won’t necessarily contact registered Australians.
What should I do now?
Australian Travel Industry Association CEO Dean Long said if you’re stuck in the affected zones of the Middle East, the most important tool now is your airline app — and specifically, your “manage booking” tab on the app.
“That app is going to be the most important tool to know what’s going on with your personal circumstances,” he said.
Long said stranded passengers should make sure the app has “push notifications” – the alerts that beep or buzz the phone.
People stuck in hubs in Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi or in Bahrain will be prioritised to get back to their point of departure.
If a passenger is confirmed, they should continue to check the app, he said.
Where to look for information?
Airlines are reviewing the logistical situation every two hours. That doesn’t mean there will be an update to the app each time, Long said.
Stranded passengers may get only a single update with the status of circumstances. They probably won’t get an update if there is no new information.
“This can be difficult for people in a high-stress environment to deal with,” Long noted. But the airline recovery process is working.
The airlines are adamant that customers should not go to airports until they’re scheduled on a flight.
They want to reduce congestion within the airport when flights depart. Ensuring only travelling passengers are at the airport allows for an orderly departure.
This advice was given to Qatar Airways customers in June when an Israel-Iran flare-up closed Qatar’s airspace.
When customers are allocated seats, they will be given ample time to get to the airport, Long said.The airlines will also need to alert their crew, who may also have been stranded, that it’s time to go. They generally need four hours for a crew to be activated. That means airlines would have to assume a four-hour window between telling crew to get ready and take-off.
The situation in the Gulf remains fluid and the dynamics of the conflict could shift at any time — something governments and airlines are keenly aware of.
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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.
