Passengers are facing delays, scheduling changes and even cancellations as airlines recalibrate their plans to avoid a large chunk of Middle Eastern airspace.
Since Israel launched missiles at Iran on 13 June, airlines have been taking alternative routes in order to stay away from parts of the region including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel and some areas in Jordan.
If you’re one of the many Australians with flights booked for a European summer holiday, how will the airline disruptions affect you? If your flight has been cancelled, or you’re concerned about travelling and want to postpone your trip, what can you do?
How does the conflict affect flights from Australia?
It all depends on the airline you plan to fly with, and which route your flight is taking from Australia to Europe.
The aviation expert Prof Rico Merkert says airlines that stop over in the Middle East, such as Gulf carriers Qatar, Emirates and Etihad, will be affected.
“Getting to the Middle East is probably still OK but once you get there it might be a bit hectic … with the potential for detours and delays,” Merkert, the deputy director of the University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, says. “And, obviously, flying to Iran at the moment is not possible.”
And the situation is changing rapidly. On Monday, a Qatar Airways spokesperson said the “evolving situation in the region” would “require some schedule changes” and advised passengers to check its website for the latest information. By Tuesday, Iran had launched a strike on a US base in Qatar, resulting in several countries closing their airspace. Passengers were stranded in Doha and some flights were diverted.
Are there any alternatives? Should I cancel my trip?
While airlines have assured passengers they are making plans to avoid Iranian airspace and other danger zones, Merkert says there are options for people who would prefer not to fly over the Middle East at the moment, pointing to airlines that fly to Europe via Asia without stopping over in a Gulf country.
Jodi Bird, a travel and insurance expert at Choice, says while a lot of people are nervous about flying internationally at the moment, it’s generally better to wait for the airline rather than cancel your own flight.
“Unfortunately, if you’re cancelling because you’re worried about the scenario, you’re less likely to get the money back,” Bird says. “People are more likely to get their money back or get a credit for their flight if the airline cancels or reschedules rather than their cancelling or rescheduling themselves.”
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says airlines are required to meet the guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law, but this depends on the circumstances of each particular case.
If the customer initiates a cancellation, the consumer guarantees are unlikely to apply, an ACCC spokesperson says. This means any remedy consumers are entitled to will depend on the specific terms and conditions of their fare.
My flight’s been cancelled. What should I do, and can I get a refund?
If the airline has cancelled your flight, you should get a refund or a credit if it can’t be rescheduled, Bird says.
Bird considers the pandemic to have been a “similar situation” in that it caused widespread disruption to the aviation industry but the Australian Consumer Law “didn’t offer people a lot” when it came to compensation.
“The conditions of carriage – or the flight’s fine print – are basically what you’re entitled to when an airline cancels or reschedules a flight,” he says. “In these circumstances, they’re going to be similar to the lockdowns – the cancellations or reschedulings are outside of the airlines’ control”.
Generally speaking, Bird says if a cancellation is outside the airline’s control, you might be entitled to a flight credit, but not a refund.
“It’s best to have a look at those conditions of carriage and raise it with the airline rather than wait for the airline to generously tell you what your conditions are, because they aren’t very good at that a lot of the time,” he says.
The ACCC says consumer guarantees are unlikely to apply if an airline delays or cancels a flight due to the actions of a third party such as a government implementing restrictions on the flight.
The regulator has advised passengers to contact their airline to understand what their options are. Some airlines are offering extra flexibility for people with flights in the impacted areas if they wish to proactively cancel or change their booking, the ACCC says.
What if I have travel insurance?
Bird says you’re more likely to get cover for cancellation and travel interruption, but he points out the terms vary between policies, “so, that’s another bit of fine print to look at”.
Tim Bennett, an insurance expert at the comparison website Finder, says he’d always recommend people book travel insurance as soon as possible when they start booking their trip, “whether it’s over conflicted airspace or otherwise”.
What are the Australian airlines doing?
Qantas on Tuesday said it had rerouted two flights – one bound for the UK and one headed to Europe – with the latter en route back to Australia.
The carrier operates flights to London direct from Perth or via Singapore from Australia’s east coast, has indicated it is monitoring the situation and says it will alter its flight paths if necessary but has not made changes yet.
As Merkert points out in one example, a passenger on the daily QF1 flight from Sydney to London via Singapore would avoid Middle Eastern airspace, as those flights go over central Asia.
However, the national carrier only flies from Australia to London. If you book with Qantas and want to go elsewhere in Europe, you’re likely to be flying with Emirates, its international partner, meaning a stopover in Dubai. Emirates was contacted for comment, but did not respond by deadline.
Virgin only recently launched international flights, after entering into a code-sharing agreement with Qatar, similar to the one between Qantas and Emirates. Qatar is headquartered in Doha, not far from Emirates’ base in Dubai. Virgin on Tuesday warned passengers it had diverted flights VA1 and VA15, operated by Qatar Airways for Virgin Australia, after Qatar’s airspace temporarily closed.
How have the other airlines responded?
Australia contacted more than a dozen airlines on Monday asking them what their plans were. Singapore Airlines had cancelled eight flights between Dubai and Singapore, “following a security assessment of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East”.
Regardless of what airline you’ve booked with, you should monitor its website and social media pages for information as to any cancellations or other changes.
Etihad has suspended all flights between its base in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv until 15 July.
“This remains a highly dynamic situation, and further changes or disruption, including sudden airspace closures or operational impact, may occur at short notice,” a spokesperson said.
