iscover
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has lowered its travel warnings across much of the Middle East as a potential Iran peace deal approaches.
Travel advice for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE has been lowered from level 4 (“do not travel”) to level 3 (“reconsider your need to travel”), though some areas in Israel remain at level 4. The move will make it easier for Australians to transit through the Gulf to Europe.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
In particular, Australians are now more likely to be able to access travel insurance for transits through the Gulf, as most insurers will not cover trips to regions with “do not travel” warnings.
It comes as Virgin Australia has this week resumed limited services using wet-leased Qatar Airways 777-300ERs from Sydney and Melbourne to Doha, though services from Brisbane and Perth remain suspended until September.
“Australia welcomes the agreement between the United States and Iran and continues to encourage all parties to pursue a durable and lasting peace through dialogue and diplomacy. The Albanese Government’s number one priority will always be the safety and security of Australians,” said Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite in a statement.
“While the security situation across the Middle East could deteriorate rapidly with little warning, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has assessed current conditions in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE as appropriate to move to Level 3.
“Level 3 remains a high threshold. We continue to urge Australians to postpone non-essential travel. ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ also means ‘reconsider your need to transit’. If you need to transit these locations, stay as short a time as possible and eliminate unnecessary activities.”
Travel has shifted away from the UAE and Qatar, both major connecting hubs, following the outbreak of hostilities between the US-Israel alliance and Iran in late February, with connecting hubs in Asia making gains at the Gulf’s expense.
Airservices last month reported that Australia’s Middle East traffic remained down by 69 per cent year-on-year in April, following a dramatic collapse in March brought about by the start of the Iran war. Southeast Asia was up nine per cent and Mainland China was up 20 per cent in April 2025.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Australian Aviation a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Australian Aviation as a preferred news source.
