Federal Government warns travellers trying to get out of Middle East not to cancel their flights

Australians stranded in the Middle East because of flight cancellations and airspace closures will probably find it fastest to rely on commercial flights resuming to get home, the Government says.

The best advice was for people not to cancel flights themselves, Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said.

Instead, they should keep in close contact with their airline and travel agents, and register with Smartraveller.

“It wouldn’t be practical to try and fly a hundred-odd thousand Australians out on military aircraft, so the best option will be commercial flights,” Mr Thistlethwaite said.

“Once the airspace begins to open, we’ll begin advising Australians in the different parts of the region the best place to go to get those commercial flights.”

There are up to 115,000 Australians in the Middle East region, living there and stuck mid-travel.

Typically, some 11,000 Australians transit through the region each day when flights are operating normally.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke with her counterpart in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday morning to express Australia’s solidarity with his country and to engage with efforts to support stranded Australian travellers.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan told her that the UAE was working hard to safely put on flights for travellers amid airspace closures and missile and drone attacks from Iran.

It has been able to facilitate a small number of flights from Dubai.

The UAE is providing accommodation and meals to stranded travellers.

Senator Wong offered her “deepest thanks” for the UAE’s support and assistance.

“We appreciate the UAE’s generosity and we will continue to work with them and the region to ensure the safety and security of Australians,” she said.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working around the clock to provide assistance to Australians.

“Australia condemns the Iranian regime’s indiscriminate and reckless attacks on the UAE including on civilians and civilian infrastructure.”