‘Dwarfs’: DFAT faces largest-ever operation after Iran war breaks out

The number of Australians stranded by the outbreak of war in the Middle East “dwarfs” any previous operation by Australian authorities, the government has revealed.

More than 100,000 Australians remained stranded overseas on Tuesday, after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, sparking retaliatory attacks across the Gulf.

Every flight out of Bahrain and almost every flight out of Qatar and the UAE were cancelled.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said 11,000 Australians travelled through the region per day, mostly through the United Arab Emirates.

“The situation is unprecedented because in this crisis it is the hubs that we would usually rely on in a crisis, that are in crisis,” she said during question time.

“The number of affected Australians dwarfs any consular operation the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has ever conducted has ever conducted.”

Senator Wong said “a small number” of commercial flights had been able to depart.

“However, the unfortunate reality is that an immediate resolution to this situation is unlikely,” she said.

“Many Australians are also having issues with travel insurance claims and exclusions in those in those policies for conflict situations.

“Australians are looking to their insurance providers for certainty in uncertain times, and I’m pleased that the Assistant Treasurer has been working closely with insurance providers through this crisis, and we welcome the Insurance Council of Australia today declaring the conflict in the Middle East a significant event.

“The government will continue to press Australia’s insurers to do the right thing by Australians facing disruption.”

New data from aviation analytics company Cirium has revealed major disruptions to scheduled departures on March 2, with Bahrain Airport (100 per cent), Doha Airport in Qatar (99.39 per cent), Sharjah Airport in Saudi Arabia (98.70 per cent), Tel Aviv Airport in Israel (96.23 per cent) and Dubai Airport in the United Arab Emirates (94.55 per cent) among those suffering the largest cancellation rates.

Official figures put the number of Australians stuck in the Middle East at about 115,000.

The disruption comes as Iran launches retaliatory strikes on several Gulf countries after the joint US-Israeli bombing of Tehran on February 28.

Earlier, travel advice authority Smartraveller warned Australians stranded overseas not to voluntarily cancel flights amid the ongoing travel disruptions.

Major transit hubs like Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai airports – a frequent stop for Australians travelling to Europe – have been severely affected, though there have been reports of a small number of flights leaving the region.

“Conflict in the Middle East continues to impact flights globally,” an overnight Smartraveller update read.

It also warned Australians not to cancel flights or travel plans until advice was sought from a travel agent or airline.

“Cancelling can impact your right to a refund or rebooking. Your travel insurance may not cover voluntary cancellations,” the update read.

It said many airline and travel agent call centres were “overwhelmed”.

“If you’re not due to travel in the next 48 hours, wait to be contacted by your airline,” the update read.

“If you are travelling in the next 48 hours and have not been contacted, call your airline or travel agent to confirm your flights.”

UAE and Aus talks take place

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke with her UAE counterpart Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Senator Wong used the call to express Australia’s solidarity with the UAE and discuss the issue of Australians stranded overseas amid the travel disruptions.

Mr Al Nahyan confirmed Australians impacted by travel disruptions in the country are being accommodated and provided meals by the UAE.

It is understood a small number of flights out of the UAE have also been facilitated so far.

“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.

Thousands of people have registered to exit the country with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The department is working through these registrations to confirm registrants’ situation and welfare as well as their right of entry to Australia.

‘Contingency arrangements’

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the government was monitoring reports of limited airspace openings and considering contingency options regarding the thousands of Australians stranded in the Middle East.

“There are a significant number of Australians there, we’re obviously working through all of this as quickly as possible,” he told the ABC.

“We are posting advice on Smartraveller as soon as it comes to hand, and we are very much encouraging people to monitor that very closely.

“There’s been some reports of marginal airspace being opened up in a limited way, but really that’s the issue that we’re monitoring closely.

“We are going through some contingency arrangements right now, which I won’t speak about publicly … but for most people, the most expeditious way in which they will be able to leave is going to be through commercial flights as soon as (they open).”

‘Louder and clearer’

But later, Liberal senator Dave Sharma was critical of the government’s focus on commercial options, saying it should have warned Australian travellers of the risks in the region earlier.

He argued the massive build-up of American military power in the region, the largest since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the failing negotiations between Tehran and Washington, made the risks of the conflict “entirely conceivable” by last week.

“The government doesn’t need to be given a heads up … I think they should have been louder and clearer about those risks to the Australian public,” he told Sky News.

Contingency plans in the current environment would be “difficult”, he added, before speculating if the government could get Australians to regional hubs like Cyprus or Athens, then it could assist with “evacuation flights” or “military transport”.

“In these sort of situations you want to get people out of the zone to somewhere a bit safer, where you can marshal commercial (flights),” he said.