Escalating tensions between Iran, Israel and the US have paralyzed aviation operations. A series of airports in the Middle East are closed, hundreds of flights are canceled, and thousands of passengers are stranded.
Mr. Tran Quoc Dat, a tour guide in Ho Chi Minh City, is currently waiting for a flight back to Vietnam from Tsibili, the capital of Georgia. Departing on February 19, his 11-day trip and the tourist group had to be extended to monitor the tense war situation.
He said: "Our trip will take another day. If there are no fighting, we are expected to land in Vietnam at 6 am on March 2, fly from Georgia to Bahrain and from Bahrain take a flight to India to return home. However, the plan has changed, we stayed in Tsibili for 1 day. On the morning of March 2, we will fly over Turkey, take a flight in Malaysia to return to Vietnam".
The most expensive incurred cost comes from air tickets, which Mr. Dat estimates at at least about 20 million VND/person. According to him, because the whole group decided on an early solution, luckily they saved a large amount of money.
If the decision was made later, the airfare could have doubled. Other expenses such as meals or overnight stays were all spent as much as possible by the members. It is expected that at 5 pm on March 3, we will arrive at Tan Son Nhat airport," he revealed.
Famous travel blogger Ly Thanh Co is also currently stuck in Jordan and waiting for a trip back to Vietnam. Initially, his plan was to fly to Turkey, after exploring Egypt and Jordan.
However, after monitoring the war situation, he canceled the entire next schedule and waited for a flight back to Vietnam.
The male travel blogger replied to Lao Dong from the desert in Jordan: "I have seen fighter jets flying continuously in the sky. So, I am quite scared. Besides, I also regularly update flight information".
The flight back to Vietnam was postponed, and Mr. Co had to pay for an extra night of hotel stay in Jordan. After that, he would fly on a transit in Turkey and have to wait another 20 hours.
He further revealed: "It is estimated that the cost will be about 3-4 million VND more because of changing flight tickets, I am supported free of charge by the airline.
Currently, many Vietnamese travel businesses have announced the temporary suspension of tour exploitation to some destinations in the Middle East such as Dubai, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE)... due to concerns about escalating conflict, potential risks for tourists.
Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour Travel Company, informed that the unit has stopped tours bringing tourists to the Middle East region. At the same time, temporarily suspended the inclusion of war-affected areas in products offered to customers.
Representatives of Desert Harbour Tourism based in Dubai (UAE) said that all Vietnamese tourist groups with routes to the Middle East and back to Vietnam have canceled their trips since the evening of February 28. The unit is making efforts to coordinate with local authorities and the Vietnamese Embassy in the UAE to ensure the rights and safety of tourists.
The UAE Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced that it has activated operating plans to limit the impact from developments taking place in the region.
GCAA said that the UAE government will pay all accommodation and meals for affected or stranded passengers, ensuring the full maintenance of essential services during the flight operation adjustment phase.
Accordingly, UAE airports and national airlines have supported about 20,200 affected passengers. Passengers are provided with temporary accommodation, meals and drinks, and are also supported to complete ticket re-booking procedures in accordance with the approved operating plan.
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) requested accommodation establishments to support stranded tourists to extend their stay until they can leave the country. The cost for extended stay will be paid by DCT Abu Dhabi.
