UNITED KINGDOM: In the wake of the war in the Middle East, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel guidance for its holiday makers who plan on going to Singapore, even if their destination is not in the region. The update says their flights to the Southeast Asian city-state may be delayed due to the conflict and advises them to stay abreast of the latest news before they travel. Holidaymakers from the UK who plan to go to Australia and New Zealand have been given the same advice.
The war, which began on February 28 when the United States and Israel bombed Iran, has spread to several countries in the region. It has caused the cancellation of many flights, stranding hundreds of thousands of travellers, and some airports, including those in Dubai and Kuwait, have sustained damage.
The FCDO has warned UK travellers against travel to Israel, Palestine, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Bahrain, except for essential travel.
Update for British travellers to Singapore
As for Singapore, new information regarding travel disruptions was issued on March 6.
British nationals were warned about the widespread travel disruption, which includes airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights, due to escalated conflicts in the Middle East.
Even if their destination is not in the region, they have been advised to check for the latest updates from airlines or tour operators before they start their travels, review their travel insurance policies for coverage before they travel, and monitor local and international media for the latest information, as well as sign up for travel advice email alerts.
“If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency,” the FCDO added.
International travel hub
The FCDO’s updated guidance was likely to have been issued because many long-haul flights from Europe make stops in the Middle East to break up long travel hours. Over the past couple of decades, airports in Dubai and Doha have become among the largest global hubs for air travel.
“Flights from these hubs go to all continents. It’s going to be highly disruptive to international air travellers,” Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group, was quoted as saying after the conflict began on Feb 28.
Before the bombings began, there were around 90,000 transiting passengers each day on Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad, the three biggest airlines that operate out of the UAE and Qatar. This figure does not include passengers whose final destination is the Middle East. /TISG
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