Reports suggesting Australians should cancel travel plans for the next six months are simply wrong. Etihad and Emirates are flying today. Asian carriers - Singapore Airlines, multiple Chinese carriers - are operating normally and providing reliable alternative routings to Europe. Yes, flight times may be slightly longer. No, you don't need to cancel your trip.
With headlines telling Australians to cancel their travel plans, ATIA CEO Dean Long is available today to offer a grounded, expert counterpoint and reassure travellers that Europe is still very much on the table.
Quotes from ATIA CEO Dean Long
"There are plenty of safe ways to get to Europe and the aviation sector has and will continue to adapt. Asia is open and operating. We have flights coming out of the Middle East. There will be some delays and a bit more disruption than what we're used to but no one in the travel industry is going to put you in a place where it's unsafe."
"Importantly, do not cancel. Whether you are booked to travel in the next weeks or planning to travel in coming months. If you're booked to go shortly via the Middle East, it is critical that you do not panic-cancel but rather wait for your airline to cancel as otherwise you are erasing all of your rights of a refund or rebook. If your trip is in the next couple of months, talk to your accredited travel agent or tour operator as there are plenty of alternates."
This is a situation the industry has navigated before. Twelve months ago, a 12-day conflict in the Middle East caused disruption and the travel industry resolved it quickly.
ATIA's practical advice for travellers right now:
