Middle East Airspace Diversions/Cancellations

[elanshin]

Seems to be all going for Emirates and FlyDubai (looks pretty wild, actually, given we’re still in the midst of this crisis), a little going with Etihad but no luck at all (yet) with Doha ( the one QR plane on the bottom is a freighter that isn’t going to DOH). What do the Qataris know/fear the the UAE does not?

View attachment 499644

Upthread: larger US base, proximity of Doha to other targets, runway direction making it difficult to avoid flying towards Iran.

 

[jrfsp]

The government is “disappointed” flights are leaving half empty, as mentioned up thread, probably not that surprising that many are nervous about boarding a flight out of there at the moment.

 

[Aeryn]

The government is “disappointed” flights are leaving half empty, as mentioned up thread, probably not that surprising that many are nervous about boarding a flight out of there at the moment.

Exactly, ABC had interviews earlier this week with Aussies who were transiting UAE coming home/going to EU when this started with very young children and are now reluctant to leave hotel and head to airport given the volume of missile activity they were seeing and lack of information re how secure flying would be (i.e. no assurances of military escorts etc) and new countries being puled into the conflict everyday.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Exactly, ABC had interviews earlier this week with Aussies who were transiting UAE coming home/going to EU when this started with very young children and are now reluctant to leave hotel and head to airport given the volume of missile activity they were seeing and lack of information re how secure flying would be (i.e. no assurances of military escorts etc) and new countries being puled into the conflict everyday.

Catch-22. If air defence interceptor missiles run out it’s going to be a lot worse on the ground. They have their chance now.

Surely there’s no one demanding fighter escorts for the 48 departures every hour from DXB? That’s unreasonable.

 

[Saab34]

What do the Qataris know/fear the the UAE does not?

I feel like you are trying to push some conspiracy theory.

It’s simpler! Largest US base in the ME in Qatar!

 

[Aeryn]

Catch-22. If air defence interceptor missiles run out it’s going to be a lot worse on the ground. They have their chance now.

Different people have different risk profiles.

Surely there’s no one demanding fighter escorts for the 48 departures every hour from DXB? That’s unreasonable.

There are not 48 flights to Australia every hour. So far 1 per day, maybe getting up to 3.

Their concern was there has been no information provided re how/what is being done to protect commercial flights taking off from DXB and for the period they are flying over ME airspace. So I completely understand why people would have concerns about putting whole family on a flight that could be shot down.

It also doesnt help that the different airlines disagree about re whether it is safe to fly or not.

Im sure even once/if this conflict is resolved many would reconsider ever flying via ME again given the instability in the area, when one can transit via asia or fly direct.

 

[clifford]

Etihad will resume limited operations between 6 and 19 March to select destinations.

This is very interesting.

I have a EY ticket MNL-AUH-MXP for 24 March (returning a couple of weeks later), so I'm hoping that MNL stays off the list for at least another week, so I can get a full refund and get on with my life.

Given what's going on in the ME, I now have no desire (or need) to travel through it anytime soon, and even if I did, there's no guarantee that I'd be able to get back to Australia in a timely manner, safely and at reasonable cost.

So I'm planning to rearrange my trip so that I remain in SE and N Asia. Just too risky for me, as a leisure traveller, at the moment.

There will be a few hits with other cancellation costs (eg ground transport, hotels), but those are costs I'm willng to bear under the circumstances.

 

[AIRwin]

Another 1 stop (dry) option between MEL and LHR:

Middle East Airspace Disruptions - United Kingdom

www.flyroyalbrunei.com

 

[Seat0B]

Good news overnight - Seat Son and DIL have booked Plan B flights. Out of Muscat Oman on 15 March to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and then on to Johannesburg. A ll on the same PNR. Fingers crossed the land borders stay open. Should be Ok.

I’d say there’s Buckley’s of their originally booked Etihad flights leaving a week today (13 March). They will get a refund on that if it’s cancelled. If those flights actually run, they can cancel the Ethiopian flights for total $450. Cheapest war insurance ever!

So looks like they will be at their wedding after all.

Who know what they will return to though on 5 April.

 

[Seat0B]

Can’t see a single Aussie destination in there…

Or South Africa….

 

[exLXCXFF]

Looks like a few QR flights are inbound from Rome, London, Copenhagen, and Berlin going to Riyadh while an Amsterdam flight goes to Muscat.

 

[OATEK]

It seems from various reports (eg The Australian) that the number of rockets and drones being fired from Iran has reduced by over 80%. I expect that is one of the key reasons there are more flights in the area, and if the trend continues will see more normal programming soon.

 

[mbe1510]

Wonder how much of factor the half full flights are a result of Emirates not allowing anyone to board a flight to Dubai unless their scheduled connecting flights is a certain to fly?

Suspect most Aussies in the region live there and are not looking to flee Dubai, while given the time of day this occurred was at the tail end of the morning peak on February 28 so there would have been minimal Australians in transit given those flights did leave, unless they were doing a proper stopover. Also what would I know.