Qantas long-haul flights to Europe from Perth are back to normal scheduling today after a missile strike on a US military base in Qatar yesterday diverted two services from Perth, travelBulletin understands.
One flight was already eight hours into the journey when it was forced to turn around and return to its point of origin in Perth.
Meanwhile, Virgin Australia’s scheduled services via Qatar Airways are expected to operate today but for passengers travelling to Doha only, and with significant delays.
“With over 25,000 impacted passengers currently in Doha, the immediate priority is clearing the significant backlog,” VA said.
VA will be offering free booking changes or cancellations to guests who are booked on Doha services with onward connections in the coming days – up to and including 30 Jun 2025 – and no longer wish to travel.
The updates come after both airlines were caught up in snap airspace closures around Qatar, as Iran responded to US bombing by attacking an American military base in the country.
The timing of all flights being grounded in Doha was poor for Virgin Australia, which only this month took off on its partner flights with Qatar Airways.
As a result of the closure, two services operated by QR for VA were diverted on the way to Doha, with VA1 from Sydney safely landing in Bengaluru, and VA15 from Brisbane touching down without incident in Muscat.
Meanwhile, Qantas was not immune from the impacts either despite not operating Middle East transit flights, with QF9 from Perth bound for London diverted to Singapore, and QF33 from Perth to Paris forced to return to Australia to ensure safety.
The airspace closure was revealed in the early hours of this morning and although Doha Airport has been given the green light to resume flights, QR said passengers should expect significant delays.
The Iranian attack and subsequent closure of airspace in Qatar followed a blanket warning issued by DFAT yesterday, which stated the conflict with Iran had the potential to disrupt passenger flights globally.
“Your travel plans may be affected, even if your destination is not in the Middle East,” DFAT said, adding security situations could worsen with little warning.
While the unfolding situation is alarming for travellers, ATIA CEO Dean Long said it is important for Aussies to remain calm, as policies exist to handle these kinds of emergency situations.
The association is urging travellers to only seek support from travel advisors and airlines if their departure is within the next three days.
There is no need for travellers to make any unnecessary cancellations, CEO Dean Long advised, as airlines and accredited agents are prioritising passengers departing imminently and have established systems in place to manage any changes.
“Australians flying to Europe via the Middle East should be prepared for some delays, but it’s important to know that global airlines have systems in place to manage these disruptions,” Long reassured travellers.
“We’ve seen this before, and the travel ecosystem is built to respond,” he said, reminding travellers the closure of airspace is not a new phenomenon.
