Latest news with #Smarttraveller
Sky News AU
11 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Fresh warnings emerge for Australian travellers, flights rerouted as Israel-Iran war at risk of 'unpredictable' escalation in Middle East
Australians have been warned of the travel disruptions to come as the Israel-Iran war in the Middle East threatens danger up in the air amid peak holiday season. The nation's peak travel advisor published fresh warnings on Monday urging Australians to reconsider their flying plans not just for the Middle East but for around the globe too. Smarttraveller labelled the conflict in the Middle East "unpredictable" and noted the situation could become worse with "little warning". "Closure of airspace around transit hubs in the Middle East may impact flights globally. It may cause flight delays and cancellations," it wrote in a statement. "Your travel plans may be affected, even if your destination is not in the Middle East. "If you travel to or through the Middle East, you may be unable to leave if conflict escalates. "There is a risk of reprisal attacks and further escalation." Airlines flying Australians to Europe have begun rerouting to avoid the conflict in the Middle East. The challenge comes as more Aussies pack their bags to escape the winter for a European summer. While Australians are yet to face any flight cancellation horrors, Qatar Airways, confirmed the ongoing situation 'will require some schedule changes to strengthen the connectivity'. Both Virgin Australia and Qantas Airlines told it continues to monitor the situation closely, but flights currently remain unaffected. "Virgin Australia's wet leased Doha services remain unaffected, however we continue to monitor the situation closely," a spokesperson for Virgin Australia said. "If for any reason a schedule change is required, Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways will work together on identifying safe alternatives and will ensure guests remain well-informed of any impacts." Flightradar24 shows the empty air space around Iran as more airlines make the decision to avoid the escalating war zone. Planes flying out of the UK and Singapore bound for Dubai were cancelled on Sunday to ensure the safety of passengers and crew, leaving thousands stranded in uncertainty. The chaos comes after the US military struck three nuclear facilities in Iran amid rising tensions between Israel and the Tehran capital. On Sunday President Donald Trump declared that three nuclear facilities, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan had been "totally obliterated" by the US strikes. As Israel and Iran continue to trade strikes in the sky despite Trump's ground-penetrating bombs, the world is now watching closely with the conflict now expected to escalate.
Time Out
20-05-2025
- Time Out
All the countries Australian travellers are being warned to avoid visiting right now
One new destination, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been added since our last update in January 2025. You know that saying, 'safety first'? When it comes to travel, it's one of the best pieces of advice you can follow. Exploring an unfamiliar country is exciting, but can also be an overwhelming experience, so the last thing you want is to find yourself in a risky situation. To help keep your adventures stress-free this year, we've pulled together a handy guide on all the destinations Smarttraveller is warning Australian travellers to avoid in 2025. The Australian government's Smartraveller website is known for providing up-to-date travel advice for 178 destinations worldwide. Each country is assigned an 'advice level' that reflects the risk for Aussie travellers, ranging from 'Level one: exercise normal safety precautions' to 'Level four: do not travel'. Currently, Smarttraveller is urging Australians to steer clear of 23 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. Nine updated warnings have been issued in 2025 alone, including Venezuela (due to political and economic instability), Central African Republic and Chad (due to risks of terrorism, kidnapping and violent crime), and Lebanon (due to the volatile security situation). As of May 20, 2025, Aussies are also being advised to "Reconsider their need to travel to" ten destinations. Some of these inclusions are long-standing, such as Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan, while others pop up momentarily due to unforeseen events, like political strikes. It's worth checking the list frequently to stay up-to-date on any movers and shakers. You can see the current list of destinations to avoid below. The destinations Australian travellers should avoid in 2025: Russia (as of May 19, 2025) Iran (as of May 14, 2025) South Sudan (as of May 6, 2025) Sudan (as of May 5, 2025) Niger (as of May 1, 2025) Myanmar (as of Apr 30, 2025) Iraq (as of Apr 29, 2025) Venezuela (as of Apr 24, 2025) Somalia (as of Apr 23, 2025) Libya (as of Apr 11, 2025) Ukraine (as of Mar 27, 2025) North Korea (as of Mar 25, 2025) Syria (as of Mar 12, 2025) Mali (as of Mar 5, 2025) Yemen (as of Mar 3, 2025) Belarus (as of Feb 13, 2025) Haiti (as of Feb 11, 2025) Democratic Republic of the Congo (as of Feb 3, 2025) Lebanon (as of Jan 21, 2025) Chad (as of Jan 8, 2025) Central African Republic (as of Jan 8, 2025) Burkina Faso (as of Dec 17, 2024) Afghanistan (as of Dec 4, 2024)
Sky News AU
07-05-2025
- Sky News AU
'Exercise a high degree of caution': Travel warning issued for Aussies amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan
The Australian government has issued an emergency warning for any residents planning to travel to India or Pakistan as a major conflict erupts between the two nuclear-armed countries. Smarttraveller released an "exercise a high degree of caution" alert on Wednesday for India in which it urged Australians to take official warnings "seriously". It further advised there may be flight disruptions due to the closure of airports, particularly in the northwest of India and airline schedules may be affected as a result. "We continue to advise do not travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the entire India-Pakistan border, or Manipur," Smarttraveller wrote. "India has closed the Attari border crossing with Pakistan. "Exercise a high degree of caution in India overall due to the threat of terrorism and crime and the risk of civil unrest. "Higher levels apply in some areas." The warning does not apply to the Union Territory of Ladakh, separate from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Residents also planning to travel to Pakistan have been advised by Smarttraveller to "reconsider" their need to travel to the country after a military operation in India struck nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. "Reconsider your need to travel to Pakistan overall due to the volatile security situation and threat of terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime and the risk of civil unrest," the alert read. "Terrorist and separatist groups hostile to foreign interests operate in Pakistan. "The threat of terrorist attacks and kidnapping remains very high. Foreigners may be targeted. "Terrorists may also target places frequented by foreigners, transport infrastructure, including trains and airports, and places of worship." At least eight people were killed, including children, and 35 others were injured following India's military attack on Pakistan early Wednesday. Locals in Srinagar reported hearing explosions around the same time India said it was conducting airstrikes against Pakistan. India said the military operation titled "Operation Sindoor" hitting 'terrorist infrastructure' in both Pakistan and Pakistan administered-Kashmir is in retaliation to an earlier attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir last month. On April 22, gunmen open fired on tourists in a popular travel destination in Pahalgam in which 25 Indian citizens were massacred. Following the latest military attack, India's Ministry of Defence said in a statement: 'These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered". 'Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution." Pakistan has denied any involvement in the April bloodshed in Pahalgam. 'Pakistan will respond to it at a time and place of its own choosing,' Pakistani military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said. "This heinous provocation will not go unanswered.'
