Australians trying to get out of the Middle East are being urged to leave the volatile region on commercial carriers, as the Albanese government resists calls to provide evacuation flights.
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Thistlethwaite was asked on Sky News Sunday Agenda whether the government would follow the UK’s decision overnight to charter a commercial flight out of Dubai for British nationals wanting to return home.
“We’re always looking at the contingencies,” Mr Thistlethwaite said, without elaborating further.
But he said to get the thousands of Australians who wanted to leave out of the region, the “the best option is commercial flights”.
“Our assessment is that the safest and the best way for Australians to return home is on commercial flights,” Mr Thistlethwaite said.
“So, if someone’s offered a seat on a commercial flight, then they should seriously consider taking that option.”
He said local safety authorities are constantly assessing when it is safe to fly, making the commercial operators in place the best option.
But the minister said the government was concerned by the cost of some of those flights.
“We’ve seen that some of those flights haven’t been full. We’ve seen the cost of tickets,” he told Sky News Sunday Agenda.
“We’re pretty disappointed by that, to be honest. And we’ve made that disappointment known to the airlines.”
Mr Thistlethwaite advised Australian to maintain their booking if they already have a flight, and to work with your travel agent and the Australian officials that are on the ground. .
“Then they shouldn’t be able to jack up the prices,” he said.
“We’ve got crisis teams on the ground and our normal diplomatic teams who are doing hotel visits, they’re doing phone calls with Australians and they’re doing online forums as well to provide as much information as possible.
“Maintain your booking, take that opportunity on a commercial flight if it comes up.”
More chaos after Dubai airport shut
face more chaos after flights from Dubai and Doha cancelled amid the latest drone strike on Dubai’s International Airport overnight.
The disruptions to international flights come after Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain reported intercepting missile and drone strikes Saturday night.
Dubai’s International Airport was reportedly struck by a drone with smoke seen rising after a loud explosion close to its terminals. The airport was forced to temporarily close on Saturday night after sustaining minor damage.
“For the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew, operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been temporarily suspended,” the Dubai Media Office stated.
The International airport has now been reopened.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Sunday did not directly address if there were any issues following the Dubai airport incident, but said nine evacuation flights had already arrived safely in Australia and another two had left the region overnight.
Almost 115,000 Australians are stranded in the Middle East since the strikes started last week, with 11,000 registered and seeking to leave.
“This is a very big consular effort … this dwarfs any consular crisis we have previously had,” Senator Wong told ABC Insiders.
“We have opened the registration portal which is where people can register as both being there so they get information, but also indicating that they want to leave.
She said buses had also made a land crossing from Doha to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
“… Qatari airspace has been very limited and so we have sought to offer people an option for a land border crossing and I understand those buses arrived safely this morning so I’m very glad about that,” she said.
Smartraveller advice for Aussies
The Australian government’s Smartraveller website has warned Aussies that movement from the United Arab Emirates could be restricted with widespread disruption of flights.
“The UAE airspace may open or close at short notice, impacting flights at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports,” Smartraveller said.
“Australians should exercise a high degree of caution in Azerbaijan and reconsider the need to travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.”
The first three buses carrying Australians from Doha are set to arrive in Riyadh with 92 Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members on board, set to return home as soon as possible.
“Smartraveller continues to advise Australians do not travel to Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, the UAE and Yemen,” the website says.
“If you’re in Iran, prioritise your safety, monitor events and follow local advice, including shelter in place instructions during strikes,” the website warned.
While a handful of repatriation flights have touched down on home soil in the past several days, reuniting more than 1300 Australians with their loved ones, images surfaced on Friday of a Sydney-bound Etihad flight with rows of empty seats.
Those stuck in the UAE have spoken glowingly of the efforts of local officials who have supplied food and accommodation to stranded Australians.
Asked on Saturday why the UAE and airlines were seemingly doing more to assist Australians than their own government, Mr Thistlethwaite maintained the best option for safe passage home was a commercial flight.
“Our diplomats on the ground are working with government officials from those countries to ensure we maximise the number of Australians on those flights,” he said.
“The Prime Minister rang the head of government in the UAE to thank him for that support for Australians.”
https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/australians-warned-to-avoid-middle-east-with-dubai-airport-drone-strike-travel-chaos/news-story/650aa9eabeceeccbb320715155f04a26?from=rss-basic