The airspace crisis that erupted on 28 February has directly hit Australia’s most-used international routes. Emirates has suspended its double-daily services to Dubai. Qatar Airways flights to Doha (operated in partnership with Virgin Australia) are grounded. And there is no confirmed resumption date for either.
If you’re managing executive travel that uses these routes, here’s what to do:
Check every booking now
Don’t wait for the airline to contact you. Log into each booking and confirm its status. If a flight has been cancelled, you’re entitled to act immediately. You don’t need to wait to be rerouted.
Under Australian Consumer Law, if your flight is cancelled you have the right to either a full cash refund to the original payment method, or free rebooking on the next available service to the destination. You’re not obliged to accept a travel credit or voucher if you’d prefer a refund. Be clear about this when you call.
Emirates is offering free rebooking, and Qatar Airways is offering refunds and rebooking for affected services [correct at time of writing – check each airline’s Australian website for current dates and terms as these are being updated regularly]. For Virgin Australia bookings on Doha services, contact Virgin Australia directly; if you booked through a travel agent, the agent needs to handle it.
Know your alternatives
For execs who need to reach the Middle East or connect through the Gulf, options are limited but they exist. Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific are operating normally and offering connections into the region.
Qantas QF9/QF10, the Perth–London nonstop, bypasses the Gulf entirely and remains fully operational (though seat availability is tightening as demand surges on the route).
For travel insurance purposes, DFAT has issued a Do Not Travel advisory for Qatar, which means most policies with government advisory cancellation triggers will have been activated. Check the policy before rebooking rather than after [correct at time of writing – confirm current advisory level at smartraveller.gov.au].
Domestic disruptions are separate
The international cancellations are running alongside a separate wave of domestic delays, driven by operational pressure on Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. These are unrelated to the Middle East situation but worth factoring in when building travel days with connections.
For now, keep a close eye on DFAT travel advisories at smartraveller.gov.au and set up airline notifications on any active bookings. This situation is moving quickly, so what’s grounded today may resume with short notice, and vice versa.
