About 2,500 people travelling to and from Ireland use the Middle Eastern hubs of Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi every day, with the vast majority of them starting or ending their journey in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
With severe restrictions in place on flights to and from those airports as a result of the conflict in the region, some will be looking for alternative routes to book in the weeks ahead.
The good news is there are many, although most will see Irish travellers spending more time in the air and in airports, with an additional stopover required. Prices are also likely to be considerably higher than might otherwise have been the case.
There are no direct flights from Ireland to Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok, all of which are commonly used hubs for people travelling to Australia and New Zealand.
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As a result, people will have to book flights from Ireland to London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Paris – the four most accessible European hubs – after which they will be able to find a range of flights with multiple carriers.
Those heading to Japan, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam could travel on KLM to Amsterdam and then on to Asia – a journey which can take up to 18 hours.
Alternatively, they could fly from Dublin, Frankfurt or Zurich with either Lufthansa or Swiss, and then on to one of the Asian hubs.
A more predictable option for travellers anxious to avoid the Middle East could be a BA or Aer Lingus flight to London, and then on to Bangkok or Hong Kong with BA or Cathay Pacific.
People who have a final destination in Australia have multiple options, depending on where in the country they are going.
One of the main – but by no means the only – stopover for those travelling to Sydney is Singapore, with daily flights from London with BA and Singapore Airlines.
There are also regular flights to Sydney via Frankfurt and Singapore with Lufthansa, while KLM and Cathay Pacific have regular services to Australia via Hong Kong
Another option would be an Aer Lingus flight to Los Angeles – return fares for the direct route were around €1,000 – and then on to Sydney, which will cost considerably more.
While there are no shortage of alternative routes, travellers will pay more for their journeys.
According to the flight search engine skyscanner.com, the cheapest return flights to Sydney from Dublin in early April, for example, are between €1000 and €1,100 – but all of those fares are routed through the Middle Eastern hubs.
If the three main transit hubs are taken out of the equation, the prices typically climb to in excess of €1,300.
Many will have already bought tickets that transit through the Middle East, and will not be in a position to simply pick an alternate route.
While their plans may be up in the air, even if their planes are not, they do have some protection.
Tom Randles, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association, has said that people due to fly to the Middle East or through the affected region over the coming weeks will have to play a waiting game as at present “airlines are only allowing cancellation options for travel up to the 10th of March. As of now, flights are scheduled to operate after that date”.
Anyone who cannot get home as a result of the airspace and airport restrictions in the region does have rights under European law.
Under EU Regulation 261, airlines are obliged to offer passengers affected by cancellations a full refund, or rerouting on the next available flight, or at a later time that suits the passenger.
