‘Unpredictable’: Warning to Australian travellers after Iranian strike on US air base

Flights from Australia have been diverted and turned around amid conflict in the Middle East, with a grim warning issued to Aussie travellers.

Australian travellers are being warned to closely monitor their flight schedules after several planes were diverted and an airline suspended all flights amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Iran launched an attack on the US’ Al Udied Airbase in Qatar overnight, following the US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities days earlier.

The attack was thwarted without casualties, Qatari authorities have said.

Flights for a major Middle Eastern airline have been cancelled, causing chaos for thousands of Australian travellers. Picture: Supplied

Following the temporary closure of air traffic movement in the State of Qatar, Smartraveller issued a warning to Australians travelling overseas.

“The situation in the Middle East is unpredictable,” a statement read.

“It could get worse with little warning. Security risks may increase. There may be travel disruptions within the region and globally.”

They warned Australian travellers to contact their airline and check for all updates amid the conflict.

“Your travel plans may be affected, even if your destination is not in the Middle East. Contact your travel agent or airline to confirm your plans,” the statement read.

“If you travel to or through the Middle East, you may be unable to leave if conflict escalates. Local security situations could get worse with little warning. Flights can change or stop at short notice. Roads and borders can close.”

Qatar Airways temporarily suspended all flights in the wake of the attack.

“We are working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support any passengers that have been impacted, and will resume operations when the airspace reopens,” the airline said in an online statement.

“The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority.”

Flights are avoiding Iran as the country launched missiles into US’ Al Udied Airbase in Qatar. Picture: Flightradar

The airline has since confirmed it was reinstating its flights as the airspace reopened.

Additional staff have been deployed at Hamad Interational Airport and other airports to assist passengers affected by the delays and cancelled flights.

“As operations resume, we anticipate significant delays to our flight schedule,” the spokesman said.

“We would advise passengers to check qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways mobile application ahead of travel.”

The temporary closure of the Qatari airspace forced several flights from Australia to divert to other countries.

A Virgin Australia spokesman told NewsWire two flights operated by Qatar Airways had been diverted on the way to Doha.

Flight VA1 (Sydney–Doha) was diverted to Bengaluru and VA15 (Brisbane–Doha) diverted to Muscat.

The flight from Sydney to Doha was forced to perform a U-turn halfway through the flight, before landing in Bengaluru in India.

“Both aircraft landed safely,” they said.

“Guest recovery is being co-ordinated by Qatar Airways, including support on the ground and assistance with onward travel arrangements.”

Qatas have also diverted flights amid the missile strike on US Al Udied Airbase in Qatar. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Qantas flights have also been impacted by the closures, with one flight from Perth to London being diverted to Singapore, carrying 199 passengers and 14 crew.

“Due to airspace closures and congestion through the Middle East resulting in air traffic restrictions, QF9 (Perth-London) has been diverted to Singapore and QF33 (Perth-Paris) is returning to Perth,” the spokesman told NewsWire.

“We continue to monitor airspace availability closely and will alter our schedule as required.

“We thank our customers for their patience and understanding.”

The Qantas spokesman said all passengers and crew would be provided overnight accommodation.

The diverted flight will impact another flight’s departure, due to a lack of aircraft on the round, with recovery being assessed.

The QF33 flight from Perth to France has returned to Perth, carrying 216 passengers and 14 crew, while the QF1 flight from Singapore to London is continuing as scheduled, and is travelling north of the impacted airspace.

The Qantas spokesman said the QF2 flight from Singapore to Sydney is not affected.

Flights to Tel Aviv have been suspended due to the closure of Ben Gurion Airport, with flights to Jordan and Lebanon also temporarily suspended.

Flights to Iran and Iraq have been paused until and including Monday, June 30, the Qantas website read.

Flight VA1 from Sydney to Doha was forced to perform a U-turn and diverted to Bengaluru in India. Picture: Flightradar

A number of Emirates Airline flights have also been rerouted to Dubai amid the chaos, the airline confirmed, though said there were no diversions.

“After a thorough and careful risk assessment, Emirates will continue to operate flights as scheduled, using flight paths well-distanced from conflict areas,” the statement read.

“Some flights may incur delays due to longer re‑routings or airspace congestion, but Emirates’ teams are working hard to keep to schedule and minimise any disruption or inconvenience to our customers.”

Etihad Airways cancelled five flights on Monday and another four flights on Tuesday, warning of further delays and disruptions.

“Etihad Airways flights only operate through approved airspace - safety is always our highest priority and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so,” a statement read.

Flights to Tel Aviv have also been suspended until July 15, 2025.

Singapore Airlines have cancelled four flights from Singapore to Dubai for June 24 and June 25, including the SQ494, SQ495, SQ494 and SQ495.

“Customers affected by the flight cancellations will be re-accommodated on alternative flights or can seek a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket,” a statement read.

Flights have been rerouted amid the chaos in the Middle East. Picture: Louai Beshara / AFP

Passengers scheduled to travel on Virgin Australia flights between Australia and Doha are advised to closely monitor their flight information.

Doha is one of the major stopovers for Australians travelling to Europe, which is entering its summer season.

One Australian who was planning to fly to Dublin on Tuesday told Today he saw “lights coming from the distance” as missiles hit the skies.

“And at first it sort of it felt like sort of dull fireworks there, with a bit of rumblings going off,” he said.

On Tuesday morning, Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned Iran’s strikes on the US bases of Qatar and Iraq, reiterating calls for “de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy”.

“There have been disruptions to flights with temporary airspace closures in the region,” she said.

“Closure of airspace around transit hubs may impact flights globally, causing delays and cancellations. Australians travelling should seek updates from their airlines and follow (Smartraveller).

“Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the Australian Government’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre 1300 555 135 (within Australia) and [phone] (from overseas).”

More to come

Originally published as ‘Unpredictable’: Warning to Australian travellers after Iranian strike on US air base