DFAT to downgrade UAE and Qatar advisories as conflict eases
Updated ,first published
The Australian government has reduced travel warnings for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, major Middle East hubs, removing a major obstacle for travelers to purchase travel insurance for flights through the region.
The move follows a deal between the US and Iran to end the conflict in the Gulf and comes ahead of the peak season for Australian holidaymakers heading to Europe in the northern hemisphere for the summer.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade downgraded the rating of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar from the highest Level 4 (“Do Not Travel”) to Level 3 (“Reassess your travel needs”). This publication, published on Tuesday, heralded this move.
The move removes a major hurdle for the region’s major carriers – Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways – while restoring a vital aviation corridor for Australians traveling to Europe and the UK. When the alert reached level four, almost all insurance companies refused to issue policies to people flying over the Gulf.
Months of conflict have severely disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of travelers; It forced airlines to reroute flights, cancel trips and skip the region entirely. The resulting uncertainty has disrupted onward bookings and devastated international tour operators’ business.
The war has also damaged the reputations of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, which have long been marketed to Australian travelers as safe and stable transit hubs.
Level 4 “Do Not Travel” instructs Australians to leave the area “if safe to do so” and if a person travels there they should seek professional safety advice. “Your travel insurance policy may be invalid. The Australian Government may not be able to assist you.”
Level 3 instead encourages travelers to avoid non-essential travel and “check to see if your insurer covers you.”
“This should have been done weeks ago,” Australian Travel Industry Association board member Cinzia Burnes said.
Burnes, Helloworld’s chief executive, said Australia was one of the last countries with this level four alert still in effect.
“Thousands of people were already passing through Dubai and Abu Dhabi because the risk is very limited.”
“Once the restriction is lifted, insurers will be willing to cover travel between centres. Such a change will certainly motivate people who are hesitant to book.”
US President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed the signing of a preliminary peace agreement that calls for an end to the conflict that has seen airports, hotels and civilian infrastructure routinely targeted by drone strikes and led to repeated airspace closures. Details of the agreement were not made public and many important details were postponed until future negotiations; Israel’s stance on the agreement is unclear.
Emirates currently operates the highest volume of daily flights connecting Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to Dubai; Virgin Australia partner Qatar Airways mainly flies via Doha.
Intrepid Travel’s ANZ managing director Brett Mitchell noted the wider impact of de-escalation. “Any step towards peace is good news for the world,” Mitchell said.
“We also hope that as conditions evolve, official travel advice will continue to reflect the situation on the ground, including at major transit hubs that play a critical role in connecting travelers to destinations around the world.”
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