Perth flights to London and France diverted amid ongoing Middle East conflict

West Australian

24-06-2025

Two flights from Perth were forced to divert overnight amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Iran launched an attack on the US' Al Udied Airbase in Qatar after the US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities days earlier.
The attack was thwarted without casualties, Qatari authorities have said.
One flight from Perth to London was diverted to Singapore, carrying 199 passengers and 14 crew while the QF33 flight from Perth to France has returned to Perth, carrying 216 passengers and 14 crew.
'Due to additional airspace closures and congestion through the Middle East, our Perth-London service has been diverted to Singapore and Perth-Paris is returning to Perth,' a Qantas spokesman said.
'We continue to monitor airspace availability closely and will alter our schedule as required.
'We have a number of flight path options that we utilise for our flights to Europe and these are reviewed regularly based on factors including weather and security.
'We thank our customers for their patience and understanding.'
Those on the Perth to London flight were accommodated overnight in Singapore, while those on the Perth to Paris flight will be accommodated in Perth.
The diverted flight will impact another flight's departure, due to a lack of aircraft on the round, with recovery being assessed.
The Qantas spokesman said the QF2 flight from Singapore to Sydney is not affected.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways temporarily suspended all flights in the wake of the attack, due to the closure of air traffic movement in the State of Qatar.
'We are working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support any passengers that have been impacted, and will resume operations when the airspace reopens,' the airline said in an online statement.
'The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority.'
The airline has since confirmed it was reinstating its flights as the airspace reopened.
Additional staff have been deployed at Hamad Interational Airport and other airports to assist passengers affected by the delays and cancelled flights.
'As operations resume, we anticipate significant delays to our flight schedule,' the spokesman said.
'We would advise passengers to check qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways mobile application ahead of travel.'
The temporary closure of the Qatari airspace forced several flights from Australia to divert to other countries.
A Virgin Australia spokesman said two flights operated by Qatar Airways had been diverted on the way to Doha.
Flight VA1 (Sydney–Doha) was diverted to Bengaluru and VA15 (Brisbane–Doha) diverted to Muscat.
The flight from Sydney to Doha was forced to perform a U-turn halfway through the flight, before landing in Bengaluru in India.
'Both aircraft landed safely,' they said.
'Guest recovery is being co-ordinated by Qatar Airways, including support on the ground and assistance with onward travel arrangements.'
Passengers scheduled to travel on Virgin Australia flights between Australia and Doha are advised to closely monitor their flight information.
Doha is one of the major stopovers for Australians travelling to Europe, which is entering its summer season.
One Australian who was planning to fly to Dublin on Tuesday told Today he saw 'lights coming from the distance' as missiles hit the skies.
'And at first it sort of it felt like sort of dull fireworks there, with a bit of rumblings going off,' he said.
On Tuesday morning, Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned Iran's strikes on the US bases of Qatar and Iraq, reiterating calls for 'de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy'.
'There have been disruptions to flights with temporary airspace closures in the region,' she said.
'Closure of airspace around transit hubs may impact flights globally, causing delays and cancellations. Australians travelling should seek updates from their airlines and follow (Smartraveller).
'Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the Australian Government's 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre 1300 555 135 (within Australia) and [phone] (from overseas).'