Perth Airport chaos as airlines including Emirates, Qatar ground flights to Dubai, Doha amid Iran, Israel war

Travel plans have been thrown into chaos across the globe as major airlines ground flights amid conflict in the Middle East.

Perth Airport confirmed nine flights had been cancelled since Saturday, with more cancellations expected on Monday.

Qatari airspace was swiftly closed on Saturday just hours after Israel and the United States launched a missile attack on Iran.

The airspace closure forced Qatar Airways to temporarily suspend all flights to and from Doha, while Emirates has suspended all operations to and from Dubai after the international airport was targeted in Iran’s retaliation attack.

Crowds were seen outside Perth Airport on Sunday night after services to Doha and Dubai were impacted, with an airport spokesperson urging passengers to contact their airlines for further information.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says about 115,000 Australians are believed to be in the Middle East, and urged those abroad to check their travel insurance to see what they are covered for.

“Australians overseas should be prepared for serious travel disruptions in the days ahead due to the conflict in the Middle East,” Wong said.

“We understand this will be a challenging time for many people.”

Smartraveller — Australia’s government travel advice website — has added twelve locations to it’s ‘Do Not Travel’ list since the conflict kicked off: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Australians should also reconsider the need to travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

People with plans that involve travelling to or through the Middle East have been warned they may be unable to leave if conflict escalates further.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has activated its 24/7 Crisis Centre to provide consular support to Australians in the region.

FULL LIST OF PERTH AIRPORT FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS:

February 28, 2026

• VA021 Perth - Doha
• QR901 Perth - Doha
• EK421 Perth - Dubai

March 1, 2026

• VA022 Doha – Perth
• VA021 Perth – Doha
• EK420 Dubai – Perth
• EK421 Perth – Dubai
• QR900 Doha - Perth
• QR901 Perth - Doha