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Staff Writer
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24 March, 2026
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel guidance to warn Brits about potential flight disruption to several popular long‑haul destinations, even if they are not travelling anywhere near the Middle East.
What the new FCDO travel warning says
The FCDO has revised its advice to highlight that rising tensions in the Middle East have already led to airspace closures and widespread flight delays and cancellations.
It stresses that your journey could still be affected even if you are flying somewhere completely different, because airlines may need to reroute or pause services that usually pass through affected airspace.
Countries with recently updated travel advice
The latest advisory name checks a number of classic UK long‑haul holiday spots, including Australia, New Zealand and Thailand, as being covered by this disruption warning.
These countries are not themselves subject to “do not travel” guidance, but they feature in the list because many routes to and from them can be affected by changes to Middle Eastern airspace.
Singapore
Vietnam
Indonesia
Japan
Nepal
Maldives
Fiji
India
Cambodia
What travellers are being told to do
Officials are urging anyone heading abroad to read the specific FCDO advice for both their destination and any countries they are transiting through before they fly.
Travellers are also told to keep a close eye on updates from their airline or tour operator so they can react quickly if their flight is delayed, rerouted or cancelled at short notice.
The guidance recommends checking your travel insurance carefully in advance so you know whether schedule changes, diversions or extra accommodation costs would be covered.
The FCDO also suggests following local and international news, and signing up for email alerts, so you can see if the security picture or disruption risk changes before or during your trip.