Travellers from around the world are stuck due to the escalating crisis in the Middle East. Here’s how people travelling to and from Austria have been affected.
As the crisis in the Middle East deepens following the United States and Israel’s attack on Iran on Saturday and subsequent retaliation strikes, travellers have been caught in the chaos.Â
Numerous airlines have suspended flights in the region, while airspace is closed.Â
As of Sunday afternoon, 17,700 Austrians were registered with the Foreign Ministry in the Gulf region and the Middle East, 1,700 of whom were travellers. The total number is likely to be significantly higher and is increasing, reported Austrian newspaper Der Standard on Monday.
The Ministry “urgently recommends” anyone in the region strictly follows official instructions and seeks shelter in buildings.
Austrian Airlines cancellations
In a statement, Austrian Airlines, which is part of the Lufthansa group, said, “Due to the current situation in the Middle East, Lufthansa Group airlines will suspend flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam and Tehran until March 8th.
“The following airspaces will also not be used until March 8th: Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, and Iran.
“In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines will suspend flights to and from Dubai until March 4th. Furthermore, the airspace of the United Arab Emirates will not be used until March 4th.”
Passengers are urged to check their flight status before travel. On Monday, a flight to Abu Dhabi was also cancelled.Â
“We also want to highlight that the situation remains dynamic and schedules may change at short notice,” said the statement from Austrian Airlines.
“Lufthansa Group continues to work in close coordination with the relevant authorities and will resume normal operations as soon as conditions allow for it.”
Meanwhile, neighbouring Germany announced Monday that it is sending civilian planes to Saudi Arabia and Oman to evacuate stranded tourists.Â
Some 30,000 Germans are stuck in the region, according to the German Travel Association.
On Monday it was unclear if Austria would follow a similar path.Â
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What rights do affected passengers have?
Many travellers are affected by the situation even if they are not going to the region. That’s because much of the airspace has closed, resulting in delays and cancellations.Â
Your consumer rights depend on whether the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation applies. When flying eastward, this is always the case if you departed from within the European Economic Area (EEA), even if you have a connecting flight.
On the return journey, the regulation only applies if the operating airline is based in the EEA, for example, on a flight with Austrian Airlines, Stephan Keiler, assistant professor at Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna, told Der Standard.
READ ALSO: What are your rights if your plane or train is delayed in Austria?
If the Air Passenger Rights Regulation applies, travellers have the right to either have their flight rebooked or, in addition to the return flight to their point of departure, to receive a refund for unused flight segments.
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The airline must also provide “assistance and care” until a connecting flight, such as accommodation. Currently, there is no time limit for this, so in the worst case, the airline may have to pay for a hotel for several days. However, there is no compensation beyond this, as airlines can invoke “extraordinary circumstances”.
Anyone who has booked a single flight back to Austria with an airline not from the EU area doesn’t benefit from the regulations.