Travel agents and tour operators across the UK have been praised for mobilising quickly to support thousands of holidaymakers “trapped” by the widening and fast-changing conflict in the Middle East.
The widespread disruption, caused by the closure of Gulf airspaces, has seen thousands of cancelled holidays and passengers stranded. Over 19,000 flights into, out of and within the Middle East have been cancelled since February 28, impacting over one million passengers.
Industry leaders said the travel industry is currently navigating the most significant disruption to air travel since the global pandemic.
Agents and operators are attempting to help impacted clients and reassure travellers through social media statements and travel advice updates. Some agencies started providing travel updates to clients via Instagram over the weekend the conflict started.
“Members have reported that they have worked around the clock last weekend and since, helping customers who were due to travel on imminent departures. At Advantage too – we have been working hard to ensure members have the latest information on the situation,” Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership, told Selling Travel.
Repatriation flights
British travellers stranded in the Gulf have started returning to the UK on limited repatriation flights, including five Emirates flights departing Dubai for assorted European hubs. Emirates currently plans to operate four flights to the UK.
On Tuesday, British Airways said it would fly from Muscat to London from today (March 5), for stranded passengers.
The first charter flight organised by the British government due to fly out from Muscat on March 4 was also rescheduled for today (March 5). One stranded passenger told the BBC the process was “a shambles”.
Speaking this morning, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK government charter flight was not able to depart from Oman yesterday as planned due to technical issues. The flight is now expected to depart later today.”
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways will operate a limited number of repatriation flights from today, to support stranded passengers, including to Heathrow. It will provide further updates on Friday but for now normal service is suspended. Qatar will contact affected passengers directly with their assigned flight details, travel arrangements and next steps.
For passengers, Bue-Said has this advice: “Above all, prioritise your personal safety, stay in secure accommodation unless advised otherwise, continue to follow the FCDO advice which is being updated regularly and rely on verified government and airline communications.
“The travel industry is working together tirelessly to support affected travellers, but following clear, official instructions will be key to ensuring the smoothest possible return home.”
Crisis response
“Given the fast-moving circumstances we are operating in, the primary challenge for agents is maintaining clear and consistent communication with supplier partners, who are also working tirelessly under significant pressure,” Advantage’s Bue-Said explained.
The Association for British Travel Agents (ABTA) initiated its crisis response team over the weekend to support members in responding to the conflict.
The travel association launched a dedicated section within the ABTA Member Zone on Tuesday, to help members dealing with the ongoing situation – a portal providing up-to-date operational information, legal guidance and practical resources.
“We’re supporting members across a number of fronts, including helping them understand what is happening in destination and their legal responsibilities to customers,” said Angie Hills, Head of Destinations at ABTA.
“It’s times like these when the importance of booking with a travel agent or tour operator really shines through. We know our members are working extremely hard to help their customers,” said Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA.
The logistical challenge for agents is complex, especially when there is no certainty about the future. Some airspace in the Middle East is reopening, such as in Oman, but drone attacks in cities from Riyadh to Dubai are still provoking intermittent closures.
“Reopening will only happen once each country’s civil aviation authority issues formal clearance following security assessments. Safety is the priority,” said Bue-Said.
Henry Harteveldt, President of Atmosphere Research Group, warned: “If the countries reopen their airspace, that certainly is helpful. But airlines aren’t going to resume operations until they are fully confident that there is a zero – or as close as possible to zero – risk that their aircraft will be attacked.”
A spokesperson for TUI UK&I said: “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is always our highest priority and we continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Middle East and the latest advice from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
“Our focus remains firmly on supporting customers currently in the region. Repatriation is our steadfast priority, and our teams are working closely with our airline partners to make arrangements to bring customers back to the UK as soon as it is safe and operationally possible to do so.”
“Consumer reaction has been mixed,” said Advantage’s Bue-Said. “Some customers [remain] eager to get away, and others feeling more cautious about travelling. However, we continue to see demand for travel across the membership.
“It’s too early to say where things will stand for the region by Easter, or to speculate on prices and availability at this stage. What we do know is that consumers are continuing to plan and book travel for Easter, and for those seeking greater certainty, looking at alternative destinations right now would be a sensible consideration. What we are also seeing is that operators are responding actively, supporting agents and continuing to offer alternative destinations.”
Agents are urged to continue monitoring ABTA’s operational bulletins and the latest FCDO advice before advising clients on new bookings.
