Due to airspace closures, there are many flight disruptions, including cancellations and reschedules, throughout the Middle East. Many flight updates will continue to be released throughout the day, so make sure to keep an eye out in case your flight has been affected.
If your flight is affected, you can find out what actions to take below.
Brandon offers a brief comment to 7NEWS at 16:45.
Airline rebooking and refund policies
The list below is not exhaustive, however, it covers the main scenarios for Australian travellers. For further information, travellers are advised to visit the airline’s website or contact customer support.
Updated as of 2 March 2026, but may change as the situation in the Middle East develops.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways flights to and from Doha have been temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Passengers have been advised to monitor the latest information via qatarairways.com or through the mobile app.
- Current policy as of 2 Mar 2026: Flights departing 28 Feb to 6 Mar can be refunded in full or changed to a future travel date within 14 days from now.
Emirates
Emirates has temporarily suspended all flights to and from Dubai. ‘Fifth freedom’ flights (those between two countries outside of Dubai – such as Sydney to Christchurch) are still operating.
- Current policy as of 2 Mar 2026: Flights departing up to 5 Mar can be refunded in full or changed to a future travel date up to 20 Mar.
Etihad
Etihad Airways operations, and all flights, have been suspended to and from Abu Dhabi. Specific travellers can rebook their flight free of charge or request a refund.
- Current policy as of 2 Mar 2026: Flights departing up to 3 Mar can be refunded in full. Flights departing up to 7 Mar can be changed for free to a future travel date up to 18 Mar.
Flights through the UAE booked via Qantas
Qantas has introduced extra flexibility for flights through the UAE booked via their website, including codeshare commercial bookings and reward flights.
- Current policy as of 2 Mar 2026: Flights booked before 1 Mar and departing from 1 Mar to 5 Mar can be refunded in full, put in flight credit (cash fares only) or rescheduled within 10 days from the original departure dates without fees.
Flights through the UAE booked via Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia flights operated by Qatar Airways have been cancelled until further notice. Virgin is offering free flight changes, travel credits or refunds for guests who no longer wish to travel.
- Current policy as of 2 Mar 2026: Affected flights before 6 Mar can be refunded, put in credit or rescheduled at no extra cost.
Alternative flight routes to the Middle East
We advise against cancelling your flights prematurely until a specific waiver is offered for your travel dates.
If you do need to travel in the next few weeks to a destination outside the UAE (e.g. Europe), call or message the airline on official channels to see if they can reaccommodate you on a different partner carrier that is flying. If you booked through a travel agent or a different ticketing airline, call them instead.
Where possible, try to push to be rebooked via an Asian hub if you have a cash fare. This includes Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Unfortunately, rebooking a reward flight booked with points may be difficult due to low availability on alternative routings. If your travel is urgent, consider refunding your reward booking in full and purchasing a cash fare on an alternative carrier.
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