Australians stranded overseas have resorted to hiring limousines to cross international borders and paying thousands of dollars for last-minute tickets, as the federal government scrambles to coordinate a consular response to the war in the Middle East.
More than 20,000 flights have been cancelled across key Gulf transit hubs since the escalating US and Israeli air war against Iran began on the weekend, shutting down one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors and leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded.
The United Arab Emirates’s government said this morning 60 flights had taken off to locations around the world, flying in dedicated emergency air corridors.
The first flight from Dubai, bound for Sydney, has departed and is due to arrive late tonight.
US-Israel attack Iran live updates: For the latest news on the war in the Middle East read our blog.
For Richard, an Australian expat living in Dubai, the reality of the war in the Middle East was both immediate and frightening.
“I kept thinking, ‘Okay, the UAE is really safe. They’re doing a great job intercepting missiles,’ but there are hundreds being fired. It only takes one,” he said.
With explosions shaking buildings near his apartment, he and his partner decided to leave, booking a limousine through a private chauffeur company, hoping for a safe, direct route across the border into Muscat, Oman.
But at the UAE border, their chauffeur was denied entry because the car was registered to the company and not the driver.
After clearing UAE immigration, they entered a half-kilometre stretch of “no-man’s land” between the UAE and Oman checkpoints, and waited over an hour on a crowded bus with other stranded passengers.
“It was horrible,” Richard said.
“Nobody would tell us what was going on. I usually stay calm, but I started questioning what was happening. I had to focus on getting to the other side safely.”
He said the bus was “crowded and chaotic”, with children crying, parents anxious and passengers visibly scared.
Airspaces have been closed and flights cancelled en-mass due to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. (AP: Hassan Ammar)
Once on the Oman side, taxi fares to Muscat were being quoted at up to $8,000.
He said they managed to negotiate a ride for $800, and along the way, picked up a French mother and her seven-year-old son who were also lost and terrified.
“We basically took her under our wing and helped her come with us,” Richard said.
Read more about the US-Israel war with Iran:
‘Left to fend for ourselves’
While some flights out of the Middle East have resumed, many travellers remain stranded and have little clarity about how long the situation will last.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged Australians to stay in contact with their airlines.
She told the ABC’s AM program this morning “all contingencies” were on the table, but with the high number of Australians in the region, the best way to get them out was via commercial flights when they were able to get into the air.
“This is a consular crisis that dwarfs … any that Australia has had to deal with in terms of the numbers of people,” she said.
The situation has also caused chaos for Australians who were due to transit through the Middle East on the way home from Europe.
Thousands of kilometres away in the safety of Spain, the Cass family has spent around $12,000 on flights trying to get back to Victoria.
Simon Cass, his wife, their twin nine-year-old daughters, his brother-in-law, and 72-year-old father-in-law found themselves stranded in Madrid after their return flight to Australia was cancelled amid the escalating tensions.
“This was meant to be a big family catch-up and an anniversary gift. The girls had never met their Spanish side of the family,” Mr Cass said.
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Just hours before they were due to return to Madrid airport to come home via the Middle East, the US and Israel attacked Iran.
He said Etihad Airways emailed to say the flight was cancelled, so he began searching for alternative routes.
“Flights were selling out in minutes. I saw economy fares to parts of Asia listed at more than $10,000 per seat,” Mr Cass said.
“The airlines were hiking prices, knowing they could double their profit from people desperate and in need.”
The family eventually bought tickets through a third-party website for around $7,500, only for the booking to be cancelled.
They later booked a new route from Madrid to Sydney via Beijing for $9,656.
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Passengers have reported similar price hikes in recent days from airlines around the world.
One of them, Singapore Airlines, told the ABC it did not engage in fare gouging.
“Our airfares are dynamic and subject to change, and they fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including proximity to proposed travel date, seat availability, the booking class selected, and the specific dates of the flights or itineraries,” a spokesperson said.
Justin Wastnage, an adjunct industry expert at the Griffith Institute for Tourism, said the surge in airfares was being driven by complex algorithmic systems rather than deliberate profiteering.
“In times of emergencies, when a lot of people are searching the same flights, the system pushes prices up,” Mr Wastnage said.
He said rising aviation fuel costs were also factored into fares, particularly when airlines flew longer routes to avoid restricted airspace.
The Cass family have now booked a new route home via China for $9,656. (Supplied: Simon Cass)
The Cass family is due to fly out soon and expect to arrive back in Australia tomorrow.
Mr Cass said he was disappointed in the federal government’s response.
“I thought the Australian government surely could assist us financially or even get a repatriation flight for us,” Mr Cass said.
“I’m so disappointed. I’m a former state government employee … my wife is a teacher.
“We run a small business, pay our taxes and were just left to fend for ourselves.”Loading…
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