Intrepid CEO James Thornton has expressed support for ATIA’s Campaign for Commonsense, which is calling on the government to downgrade travel advice for Middle Eastern airport transits from Level 4 (‘Do not travel’) to Level 3 (‘Reconsider your need to travel’).
“Yesterday, I transited through Dubai International Airport on my way from Australia to the UK. I wasn’t sure what to expect, given Australia’s DFAT and the UK’s FCDO guidance currently advising against all travel through the UAE or Qatar, including transit through the airports,” Thornton said on LinkedIn.
He continued: “The transfer through Dubai was utterly seamless and both Emirates flights were packed and travel felt completely normal.”
Thornton said the hubs are “incredibly important for international travel”, adding that the current guidance from Australia and the UK is problematic for several reasons.
“Not only does it mean Aussies and Brits travelling through these hubs will find their travel insurance invalid during transit, it’s also bad for travellers choosing different, potentially more expensive or less convenient routes, as well as communities around the world that rely on tourism and are currently experiencing lower visitor numbers.”
“This is a message that Dean Long and the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) are advocating for and that I support. Safety is always our number one priority and we would never call for any changes that compromise safety.”
Thornton was not alone in backing the campaign. Holly Velardo, founder and director of Hollyday Travel, an ATAC board member, state representative for TIME (Travel Industry Mentor Experience) and host of the Travel Business Unlocked podcast, also voiced her support on LinkedIn.
“As members of the Australian Travel Industry Association, we’re calling on the Australian government to change the travel advisory for Middle Eastern airports from Level 4 ‘Do not travel’ to Level 3 ‘Reconsider your need to travel’,” she said.
Velardo noted that under the current Level 4 advisory, Australians have significantly fewer travel insurance protections while transiting through airports in the Middle East.
“Downgrading the advisory level makes sense given an airside transit of a couple of hours carries a fundamentally different risk to a holiday in-country. It’s time for Australia to follow countries including the UK, Germany and France by aligning our advisory to Level 3, allowing Australians to transit through Middle Eastern airports to Europe, India and Africa with confidence,” she added.
“Get in touch with us or your local ATIA-accredited travel business to plan your European trips.”
The debate is likely to intensify following news that Kuwait International Airport was struck by what Kuwaiti authorities say was an Iranian drone attack yesterday, with surveillance footage released showing the moment Terminal 1 was hit. The strike killed one person, injured dozens and caused significant damage – an incident Iran’s IRGC attributed to a wayward US Patriot missile.
ATIA rallies members with Campaign for Commonsense on travel advice through Middle East
