Ongoing unrest in the Middle East has triggered global flight disruptions, impacting leisure and business travellers worldwide. That situation became considerably worse today (March 2) when Air Canada announced it has extended its suspension of flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv through March 22.
Canada’s largest airline says the flights will not resume until March 23, at least for now.
Since Saturday, the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA) says nearly 6,000 flights have been cancelled worldwide related to the Middle East conflict. The Dubai International (DXB) airport, the world’s busiest international airport for 12 consecutive years and the busiest globally by seat capacity, has been closed since February 28th. Airspace in the region is closed as are other key Gulf airport hubs including Abu Dhabi and Doha which are critical East‑West travel anchors. The closure of these airport hubs impacts direct flights to and from the region and thousands of connecting travel routes with a domino effect that can impact travellers and connecting flights around the world.
The website flightaware.com is reporting nearly 2,000 cancelled flights today alone for the airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Tel Aviva and Bahrain.
CTV News reports airspace is closed over the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain and Iraq. It also says other airlines have extended their suspension of flights into Dubai, Tel Aviv and other airports in the region.
Airlines are rerouting or cancelling Europe–Asia flights, impacting travel that Canadians rely on for flights for direct travel or connecting flights to Europe, Africa and Asia. The THIA has advice for Canadians who are impacted by these disruptions; advice that is useful, really, for any number of situations in a world that seems to be increasingly less certain every day.
Dubai. ZQ Lee/Unsplash Photo
· For Canadians currently impacted by airport closures – Adhere to all government safety directives and contact the booking airline or agent to determine the soonest alternative return options. Travellers should also review their travel insurance carefully, noting that most policies exclude losses arising from war or warlike operations. Travel health insurance coverage typically applies to travellers whose trips are extended due to unforeseen circumstances.
· For those with scheduled trips in the coming days or weeks – Stay in contact with airlines for alternative routes if possible and monitor and adhere to Government of Canada travel advisories and airline notifications. Most Middle Eastern countries are under Government of Canada level 4 (avoid all travel) advisories which in most cases invalidates travel insurance coverage. Travel insurance plans may provide coverage for trip cancellation if a level 3 (orange) or 4 (red) advisory against travel is issued.
“This is a dangerous and volatile situation. Government of Canada advisories to avoid all travel to the region should be followed and travellers will be travelling at their own risk and expense to the region because most insurance policies do not provide coverage to regions impacted by level 4 advisories, especially when purchased after the advisories are announced” said Will McAleer, spokesperson for the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA). “For people with impacted flightpaths with delayed return flights, travel medical insurance plans may provide coverage for medical care through delays, while airlines are otherwise responsible for getting them home safely.
“In general, there may be options for reimbursement through airlines, tour operators, or insurance, depending on the circumstances. It’s important for travellers to keep all receipts for any non‑refundable costs and to contact their airline and insurers as soon as possible to understand what support may be available,” McAleer said.
THIA advises that, whenever travelling to a region with questionable stability or a range of travel advisories, Canadians should consider registering with the Canadian Government to ensure they can be continually notified as many policies exclude losses tied to war or warlike events. THIA is also encouraging Canadians to review their travel insurance coverage carefully and contact their providers for any clarification if they have questions.
In a troubled world with Mexican cartels unleashing their fury in Puerto Vallarta and uncertainty in Cuba and South Asia, it doesn’t hurt to be a little cautious.
