Major regional gateways including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi were closed as countries across the Middle East shut their airspaces following United States and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian retaliation yesterday.
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Flight maps showed the sky around the Persian Gulf virtually empty, while airlines across Europe and the Middle East announced sweeping cancellations.
Dubai’s international airport, which handles more than 1000 flights a day, sustained damage during a retaliatory attack on sites across the Gulf Arab states, and Abu Dhabi’s and Kuwait’s international airports were also hit.
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Vincent George Travel co-owner Rosann Connolly-George, of Dunedin, said brokers were working to confirm if any customers were in affected countries or airspaces, although none had been identified so far.
"Our first concerns are ... to find out who are actually in the Middle East, who need us to reach out, check on them and see the status of play for their mental health and how they’re feeling right now — what can we do for them."
Brokers were also running reports to pinpoint customers whose upcoming travel would be disrupted in the coming days, while flights could be changed for free.
This included her, as she was scheduled to accompany a group to Norway, via Doha, on Friday, Mrs Connolly-George said.
She was working through options to manage the bookings, including delaying travel.
"This is not a new thing, but it is something that is sadly part of our world as we know it today in the Middle East."
It was unusual to have concerns for safety in "non-wartorn countries", such as the United Arab Emirates.
"At this stage, everyone is exercising caution. That is very key.
"I’m sure that they will be moving everything as much as they possibly can around to accommodate, first and foremost, safety of the public, the passengers and those that are also working to the airlines as well.
"But we’ll continue to monitor everything hour by hour, because it can change very much."
Insurance companies were anticipating an "unprecedented amount of requests on claims", and most were expected to fall under cancellations policy, although it would vary, Mrs Connolly-George said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade had told New Zealanders in the region to shelter in place, follow the advice of local authorities and register on SafeTravel.
Flights from Auckland cancelled
A Qatar Airways 777 and two Emirates A380 planes are stuck in Auckland after the airlines were forced to cancel flights through Doha and Dubai amid the Iran attacks.
"Auckland Airport is supporting those airlines with aircraft parking and operational assistance while services are paused and airlines work through their plans to resume flying," a spokesperson said in a statement.
"Airlines will be working to rebook affected travellers," the Auckland Airport spokesperson said.
"We encourage anyone due to travel through the Middle East in the coming days to check directly with their airline or travel agent for the latest updates.
"Other international flights are operating as scheduled."
It comes as Dubai's international airport and its landmark Burj Al Arab hotel sustained damage as overnight Iranian retaliatory attacks spread across the Gulf states and the wider Middle East, reaching beyond US bases and interests.
Dubai is the biggest tourism and trade hub in the Middle East and its airport is one of the world's busiest travel hubs.
— Additional reporting Reuters/RNZ
