What can the thousands of Swiss citizens stranded in the Middle East do?

A passenger in front of a sign announcing the cancellation of a flight to Doha at Frankfurt Airport. Keystone/DPA/Florian Wiegand

Following the bombings of Iran and the Islamic Republic's retaliatory strikes, thousands of Swiss travelers are stranded in major Gulf cities without the prospect of returning home soon. How should they handle the situation and what can travellers do if they have travel plans in the coming days?

Since the Israeli-American attack on Iran last Saturday, more than 4,000 Swiss tourists have been stranded in various Middle Eastern countries – the vast majority in the United Arab Emirates. Some of them were in transit, particularly at the airports of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, hubs for Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, airlines widely used for travel to Asia from Geneva and Zurich.

>> >> Read the testimonies of stranded Swiss citizens:

Due to the dangers posed by Iranian retaliatory strikes, particularly drone attacks, aircraft are only taking off and landing sporadically at airports throughout the region. Some airports have been completely closed since Saturday; others have been affected by Iranian reprisals.

Currently, it is difficult for Swiss travellers abroad to know when they will be able to return home. On Monday, the foreign minister stated that it currently has no plans for repatriating Swiss tourists. So what can be done?

No miracle solutions

For the TCS, there are no miracle solutions: you have to be patient and follow the recommendations of the foreign ministryExternal link and contact your airline or travel agency to reschedule your return flight.

On site, basic expenses (accommodation, meals, replacement flight) are normally covered by the airlines, which have a duty to reroute the passenger to their destination as soon as possible.

If the passenger cancels their flight or manages to return home on their own, the airline is not obligated to refund the tickets, as the reason for the cancellation is considered an “extraordinary circumstance” beyond the carriers’ control. The same applies to compensation for the delay.

Salaries not guaranteed

From a professional standpoint, in such a case, the employer cannot impose a penalty for missed workdays, as the inability to get to the office is not the employee’s fault. However, the employer is not obliged to pay wages for the missed days if the trip was for personal reasons. Furthermore, the employer cannot deduct these missed days from the employee’s vacation balance.

If it were a business trip, the situation would be different. “I would tend to consider that a business trip is akin to a business risk. […] Since the inability to work is attributable to the employer, the salary should be paid, at least for a certain period,” says labour law specialist Rémy Wyler, interviewed by RTS.

To go or to cancel?

For travellers who are about to leave or have already purchased plane tickets to the Middle East – or who must transit through this region – the question is different. Should they go or cancel?

Since Monday, the foreign ministry has strongly advised against all tourist and non-essential travel to most countries in the Middle East. Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia are affected. Travel to Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, and Syria was already discouraged. Within the region, only travel to Oman is not discouraged, even though Muscat International Airport has experienced disruptions over the past three days.

Some people have already made up their minds to avoid the Gulf countries at Easter or in October. Holidays have been postponed, or even completely cancelled, in favour of alternative destinations, according to several travel agencies contacted by RTS.

When interviewed by RTS, Stéphane Jayet, vice-president of the Swiss Travel Federation, advised taking a cautious approach. “I wouldn’t cancel immediately. We absolutely mustn’t succumb to panic and generalisations. However, I would ask about the conditions and the timeframe for making a decision, whether in the short or medium term.”

Free cancellation if travel is not advised

After the security aspect, the burning question is whether travellers will be able to get a refund if they cancel a vacation now, for example, to Dubai or Jordan. “It all depends on the departure date and the service providers involved. Each airline has its own conditions and policy,” notes Jayet.

People flying to or transiting through countries to which travel is officially discouraged can generally cancel their trip free of charge up to 48 or 72 hours before departure, he says. The same applies to travel cancellation insurance, which should, under these circumstances, cover the costs of cancelling accommodation or activity bookings.

Adapted from French by AI/ac

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