UK and Australia Lift Gulf Travel Warnings, But European Airlines Await Clearance
Photo Credit: Heathrow Airport, British Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Heathrow Airports Limited / Heathrow Airports Limited
Skift Take
Gulf travel advisories are moving. War-risk insurance authorization isn’t — and that’s the constraint that controls when European airlines come back.
The UK government Thursday lifted its travel warning for travel to the UAE, Qatar and parts of Saudi Arabia following an agreement signed between the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending months of war. Australia on Wednesday also relaxed its travel advice for several Middle Eastern countries.
The advisories matter because they open the door to travel insurance for travelers — a key hurdle to the full recovery of travel in the region.
The war, which broke out on February 28, had disrupted Gulf tourism, closed airports temporarily, and led to drone strikes on hotels, stranding travelers.
The issue has
