TAANZ ceo Julie White is commending the many agents who are working hard to reaccommodate and reassure their clients during the Middle East crisis.
But some travel groups are frustrated by the seeming lack of assistance offered by the New Zealand Government, particularly for stressed and elderly travellers.
“We are helping all we can, but we can’t actually work miracles—these people need some help from the government,” says one travel group head.
While the governments of Qatar and the UAE are accommodating disrupted passengers at no cost, a number of agents who have contacted Travel Today says there’s only so much the consultants can do to help their clients.
More than 2000 Kiwis in the Middle East have registered with Safe Travel, with more than half them in the UAE.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade advice is still to shelter in place and leave when safe to do so on commercial flights as soon as the airspace reopens. ”We advise New Zealanders to monitor developments and local advice and to keep in contact with their airlines, travel agents and insurers,’’ a spokesperson says.
Of those who have registered 1264 were in the UAE, 291 in Qatar, 252 in Saudi Arabia, 71 in 291 Israel and the OPT, 30 in Jordan, 44 in Bahrain and 26 in Iran.
While Emirates and Qatar Airways services remain suspended from New Zealand. Travel Today understands that an EK flight ex Dubai is making its way to Sydney.
As yet there is no update on when the carriers will resume any services to/ from New Zealand Kiwis stranded in the Middle East are joining tens of thousands of others trying to leave the region since the outbreak of what is a widening war.
The US last night advised its citizens in 14 countries in the region to leave as soon as possible.
UAE authorities have partially reopened their airspace and there have been other limited EK and Etihad flights.
SafeTravel has a new help page for those in the Middle East and says ‘the government is in contact with airline representatives in the UAE and Qatar to seek urgent confirmation of the planned resumption and status of flights to New Zealand’.
More flights are leaving from Oman and Saudi Arabia and some of those from around the world (including Kiwis) stranded in the UAE and Qatar are making the five- to six hour drive to Muscat or Riyadh.
