The boss of a Lancashire-based holiday company has revealed details of a remarkable operation to bring British holidaymakers back from Asia.
Dan Acarnley, managing director of Distant Journeys, chartered an aircraft for a rescue mission from Colombo in Sri Lanka to London Stansted airport to ferry more than 400 passengers home.
All were clients who were booked to fly back to the UK on Gulf airlines: Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. The hubs of each of these carriers – in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha respectively – are on the Foreign Office no-go list because of Iranian attacks in the Middle East.
Emirates and Etihad have resumed flights at scale from Asia via the UAE to the UK, and many independent travellers are using these routes. But during the stopover in the Gulf passengers are acting against FCDO advice. In addition, travel insurance is not valid for any claims resulting from an Iranian attack while they are at the airport.
“The end of February was a really interesting time for Distant Journeys,” Mr Acarnley said. “We woke up in the morning of 28 February, to the news of the attack on of Iran and escalating conflict in the Middle East.
“At that point, we had close to 1,000 customers overseas, many due to return via major Gulf hubs such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha.
“The Foreign Office quickly advised against all non-essential travel to the region.”
Travel firms are expected to comply with FCDO warnings. The Foreign Office makes an exception for “airside transit” in some locations where it warns against travel, including parts of Mexico and Ecuador. But the advice for the Gulf nations insists that changing planes is too risky.
“It became clear very quickly that we needed to act fast to ensure customers could return home safely,” Mr Acarnley said.
“The first step was to look at commercial rerouting options: alternative airlines and routes that avoided restricted regions. Where possible, we rebooked hundreds of customers. It was challenging – availability would appear and disappear quickly – so our teams worked around the clock to secure flights.
“It became clear that for many customers, especially in Asia, there were no viable alternatives that avoided the Middle East. Without intervention, some could have been stranded for weeks.”
Among the travellers waiting to come home were Jeff and Wendy Spencer, from Surrey, on the Indonesian island of Bali. Mr Spencer told The Independent: “While to many being stuck in Bali due to the ongoing conflict may sound like paradise, I can assure you the feeling wears off in the rainy season nine days into a three-day stopover.
“It feels like Hotel California – you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”
Distant Journeys decided to act by chartering an aircraft big enough to bring the stranded clients back to the UK while avoiding the Gulf.
Mr Acarnley said: “We identified Sri Lanka as the most suitable hub – it was centrally located and we already had over 100 customers there. We then arranged to bring customers from across the region – India, Nepal, Bali, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Singapore – into one place and operate a single repatriation flight to the UK.” In addition, Sri Lanka does not have the complex visa rules of India.
Finding a suitable plane was difficult, the travel boss said. “Aircraft availability was extremely limited, as governments and other organisations were also seeking aircraft. Eventually, we secured an Airbus A350 operated by Iberojet, departing on the evening of 15 March.”
Distant Journeys flew out some senior executives to coordinate the mission.
The Iberojet aircraft, which was almost completely filled, was economy-only. Passengers who had been booked on premium flights via the Gulf are able to request a partial refund of their fare.
“Ultimately, customers were just grateful to get home safely,” said Mr Acarnley. “That was the overwhelming response.”
The 11-hour flight, E9 692, was routed over India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia before flying over northern Turkey and the Balkans to Stansted.
The Spencers arrived back in Britain 12 days later than planned. They had been flown from Bali via Bangkok to Colombo. Distant Journeys paid for the flights, the Sri Lankan visa, a hotel and transfers.
Mr Spencer said: “The flight crew were attentive, serving choice of chicken or noodles based meal and ham croissant before landing. I have had much worse on many flights. Not licensed for alcohol, but the passengers were all relaxed and sleepy anyway.
“The plane had an entertainment system, but either golden oldies or Iberian specials. But everyone we speak to was happy with their support when it matters.”
The exercise is believed to have cost Distant Journeys around £1m: more than half for chartering the jet, with costs for additional flights within Asia and onward transport in the UK.
Mr Acarnley said: “It reinforces the value of booking with a responsible tour operator. In situations like this, customers rely on us to provide support, guidance and solutions.”
The company is now seeing “strong demand for destinations like Latin America and Canada”.
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