Australian travellers urged not to ‘panic cancel’ plans
Australians with travel plans are being urged not to “panic-cancel” their flights amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Another flight from Dubai is expected to land in Sydney on Friday, reuniting previously stranded Australians with loved ones.
The first commercial flight from the region to Australia since the start of the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran arrived late on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday he hoped two more flights scheduled to depart from Dubai on the same day would continue.
Australian Travel Industry Association chief executive Dean Long said the aviation industry was adapting, with Etihad, Emirates and some Asian carriers operating as normal.
“We have flights coming in from the Middle East,” Mr. Long said.
“There will be a little more delays and disruption than we’re used to, but no one in the travel industry is going to put you in an unsafe place.”
He urged Australians planning to travel in the coming weeks and months not to cancel their flights.
“If you have booked to travel via the Middle East at short notice, it is very important that you do not panic and cancel, but instead wait for your airline to cancel, otherwise you will delete any rights to a refund or rebooking,” Mr Long said.
Aviation expert Steven Leib said airlines make careful risk assessments before allowing planes to operate in contested airspace.
“Carriers based there will be very eager to restart operations due to the intense impact on them, while foreign carriers may be much more hesitant,” he said.
Dr Leib said it could take several weeks to bring Australians home.
“If we see more stability and we see more repatriation flights being added, that could speed things up significantly,” he said.
There are 24,000 Australians, travelers and residents, in the UAE, while there are around 115,000 in the wider Middle East.
The federal government has deployed military assets to assist stranded Australian citizens and permanent residents.
A Royal Australian Air Force C17A Globemaster heavy transport aircraft and KC-30A multi-role tanker transport were deployed as a precautionary measure.
Mr Albanese faced criticism from the opposition after urging Australians to heed travel advice and pursue commercial options to return home.
“The government is failing to adequately respond,” Liberal defense spokesman James Paterson told reporters.
“All other countries of similar size and civilian populations are either leasing aircraft or sending their military aircraft.”
On Thursday, the New Zealand government announced it would send two defense force aircraft to repatriate its citizens.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Ted O’Brien said military aircraft were used at short notice to evacuate Australians from Israel in 2025, New Caledonia in 2024 and Afghanistan in 2021.
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