For those booking international travel through Middle Eastern hubs, the current geopolitical climate requires close attention.
The recent escalation between Israel and Iran has resulted in temporary airspace closures across several countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Israel, prompting significant disruption to flight paths and schedules.
While key transit airports such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi remain fully operational, carriers including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa and British Airways have been forced to reroute services to avoid affected airspace.
These diversions – often via Egypt, Turkey or Central Asia – can add hours to long-haul routes, impacting onward connections and raising the risk of delays.
European and American aviation authorities have issued conflict zone guidance advising airlines to avoid flying over southern Iran, parts of Iraq and Syria.
Although not formal bans, these notices are influencing how carriers structure their flight paths, particularly for Europe-Asia and Australia-Europe routes.
As a result, some carriers have temporarily suspended flights to high-risk destinations such as Tel Aviv, Baghdad and Tehran, while maintaining services through Gulf hubs with adjusted routing.
Agents should be aware that while it remains safe to transit through Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, there is an increased operational complexity that may affect schedules.
Recommending longer layovers or flexible ticketing options can help mitigate the impact of missed connections.
It’s also worth checking which airlines are offering waivers, flexible rebooking or refunds in response to ongoing uncertainty.
Clients may also question whether they are covered if their flights are disrupted due to conflict. While insurance can assist with delays or missed connections in some cases, most Australian travel insurance policies continue to exclude any claims related to acts of war or civil unrest.
Ensuring clients understand their policy’s limitations – and encouraging them to monitor DFAT advice – is essential when booking travel involving this region.
Although aviation across the Middle East is continuing, agents should stay updated on daily developments and airline notices, particularly when planning routes that pass near or through sensitive airspace.
Monitoring NOTAMs, airline advisories and Smartraveller updates will help ensure bookings remain as smooth and secure as possible under shifting conditions.
