Middle East Airspace Diversions/Cancellations

[MEL_Traveller]

I currently have a Qantas booked ticket flying 18 Mar QF127 SYD-HKG, 23 Mar EK381 HKG-DXB, 30 Mar QF8416 DXB-SYD. If the policy extended to 20 Mar, does that mean I'm now eligible for a cancellation/refund for all three sectors? Or none, because the HKG-DXB isn't until 23 Mar?

And: What is the likelihood this will be 'revoked'? For example, Qantas decides on 10 Mar that they will revise the policy and it will only apply for flights until 15 Mar?

Thanks.


I currently have a Qantas booked ticket flying 18 Mar QF127 SYD-HKG, 23 Mar EK381 HKG-DXB, 30 Mar QF8416 DXB-SYD. If the policy extended to 20 Mar, does that mean I'm now eligible for a cancellation/refund for all three sectors? Or none, because the HKG-DXB isn't until 23 Mar?

And: What is the likelihood this will be 'revoked'? For example, Qantas decides on 10 Mar that they will revise the policy and it will only apply for flights until 15 Mar?

Thanks.

It is your scheduled departure date for the first flight. Otherwise, for example, the waiver wouldn’t be able to be used by pax holding return tickets.

as for part two… we already have the answer! (rolled back, although 20th was possibly an error)

 

[offshore171]

be out of the country for more than x days. And they've been away for weeks now.

Hopefully this would fall under extenuating circumstances?

 

[lovestotravel]

Waiver now pulled back to 5 March. https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/agency-news/march-2026/airspace-closure.html

Wow

 

[elanshin]

SQ is sold out to the EU/UK for about a week in all classes from SIN !View attachment 499344View attachment 499345View attachment 499346View attachment 499347

Likely the airline has zeroed it out so they can allow EK/QR/EY to rebook as much as they can.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Likely the airline has zeroed it out so they can allow EK/QR/EY to rebook as much as they can.

QF has done the same thing on QF1/2

 

[justinbrett]

Waiver now pulled back to 5 March. https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/agency-news/march-2026/airspace-closure.html

I’d say EK has told QF they will resume flights -or perhaps they only want to deal with those due to travel in the immediate future so the others don’t jam the phone lines.

 

[moa999]

say EK has told QF they will resume flights -

Think everyone's guessing at the moment.
Particularly with headlines like this.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-says-conflict-with-iran-could-last-four-weeks-daily-mail-reports-2026-03-01/

 

[elanshin]

I’d say EK has told QF they will resume flights -or perhaps they only want to deal with those due to travel in the immediate future so the others don’t jam the phone lines.

Probably taking things one day at a time.

In separate areas work on the "if this takes a while to resolve"scenarios and plans.

There's online finite human resources in an emergency and I have to imagine a good bulk of it is also based at their home cities so their own safety isn't established as well.

 

[New to this]

A small but hopefully interesting data point.

I’m on QF1 J on friday

It’s gone from 1 spare seat, to (now) 3 spare seats.

 

[aaa99]

Seems like EK412 (atleast the SYD-CHC) sector seems to be operating as per schedule. Might one of the few scheduled EK flights that can continue to do so?

 

[dajop]

A small but hopefully interesting data point.

I’m on QF1 J on friday

It’s gone from 1 spare seat, to (now) 3 spare seats.

At some point the effect of people avoiding travel altogether will kick in. So seats could well open up as people cancel or defer their plans, regardless of carrier. Probably expect them to disappear again as Friday traffic on EK is rebooked.

 

[lovestotravel]

According to the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA), 11 per cent of international travel out of Australia goes through the Middle East as it’s the top connection point for Europe.

“Around 3000 to 4000 Australians every 12 hours will be impacted by this – and that’s just leaving Australia,” Dean Long, chief executive of ATIA told news.com.au

 

[lovestotravel]

Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A further update will be provided on March 02 by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC). - So we should have an update/extension of the airspace by 4pm, Sydney time.

 

[serfty]

SQ is sold out to the EU/UK for about a week in all classes from SIN !

I'm flying from SIN to MEL later this week. Loadings have gone from as low as Q9 Saturday to now F0, J0, T0, Y0 ... i.e. Booked out

 

[AuSammy]

Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A further update will be provided on March 02 by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC). - So we should have an update/extension of the airspace by 4pm, Sydney time.

Even if they open, you won't be insured. Smart traveller has again warned in last hour "Qatar - do not travel"

 

[Princess Fiona]

At some point the effect of people avoiding travel altogether will kick in. So seats could well open up as people cancel or defer their plans, regardless of carrier. Probably expect them to disappear again as Friday traffic on EK is rebooked.

Has already been a lot of rebooking onto those flights.
F had 6 empty seats on Sat morning, down to 5A only last night.

 

[lovestotravel]

Even if they open, you won't be insured. Smart traveller has again warned in last hour "Qatar - do not travel"

I would expect Smart Traveller to be updated to Reconsider your need to travel when airspace reopens

 

[RooFlyer]

Even if they open, you won't be insured. Smart traveller has again warned in last hour "Qatar - do not travel"

If it was me, I’d go if I’m only transiting.I’m not sure whether Smarttraveller would make much difference to the situation. Insurance is voided in ann active war so it’s not going to work anyway. If I’m blown out at sky I don’t really care if I’m insured or not.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Seems most Travel Insurances won't cover this owing to an act of war , which yes is probably always in all insurances, but again, makes think that insurance is one of the scummiest industries on the planet.

 

[jamesatfish]

I'm on QF1 F on Saturday with my wife and one of our kids, seat selection has gone from fairly wide open to zero availability. EF showing 0s across the board as others have advised. I'm expecting a very full flight.

I was also booked on EK F next month MEL-DXB-LHR, had to call Qantas this morning to switch to QF1 instead. There were no seats showing online but they managed to get me onto the flight I wanted in F (same day as my EK flight) so presumably they're holding inventory for changes rather than selling new bookings. That was a cash booking not points though so might be different for CR/CR+.