Abta launches hub to guide agents during Middle East unrest

Abta, the UK’s largest travel association, has introduced a dedicated hub within its Member Zone, offering travel professionals the latest information on the evolving situation in the Middle East to support customers both currently in destination and preparing to travel.

 

This comes as tens of thousands of holidaymakers, including many from the UK, have been affected by flight cancellations following regional airspace closures amid Iranian attacks on the GCC. 

 

The new portal features guidance on members’ responsibilities to customers in the region and those with upcoming bookings. It also includes a link to sign up for operational bulletins delivering the latest travel updates.

 

In addition, the hub offers a detailed FAQ outlining legal obligations and connects users to relevant resources, including government advice on "all-but-essential-travel" to specific countries, islands and resorts, as well as travel alerts issued by airlines and tour operators.

 

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Abta’s Head of Destinations Angie Hills said: “We’re supporting members across a number of fronts, including helping them understand what is happening in destination and their legal responsibilities to customers.

 

“The new section in the Abta Member Zone is designed as a one-stop-shop to help members access the information to manage their bookings and operations, and support their customers.

 

“We will be keeping this page under review as and when the situation evolves.”

 

As of 4 March, in the UAE, commercial flights remain suspended, but authorities have begun operating “exceptional flights” to assist stranded passengers as part of a phased evacuation schedule designed to repatriate more than 44,000 travellers via national carriers. Sixty flights carrying 17,498 passengers are currently underway, with 80 additional daily flights planned in the coming phase to transport over 27,000 more passengers.

 

The UK has also chartered its first evacuation flight for British nationals in Oman, with the flight scheduled to leave Muscat at 23:00 local time on 4 March. 

 

For more informatioin, visit abta.com