THE world’s airlines have been sent into a tailspin over the sudden ban on US travel for passport holders from seven black-listed countries which also apply to pilots and cabin crew.
Airlines have been scrambling to overhaul staff rosters in response to US President Donald Trump’s unexpected 90-day ban on travellers including flight crew from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
The ban extends to those that hold dual citizenship with one of those seven countries, including dual nationals in Australia.
News.com.au understands at least one Australian carrier that flies to the US is currently looking into whether any of its flight crew will be impacted by the ban, with any such staff likely be rostered onto other routes, rather than to the US.
Emirates, which is based in Dubai, is among the airlines that have been forced to quickly change pilot and flight attendant rosters on scheduled flights to the US. The carrier flies daily to 11 American cities.
An Emirates spokeswoman told Reuters the airline had made “the necessary adjustments to our crewing, to comply with the latest requirements”. She said flights to the US would continue to operate to schedule.
In an email to the world’s carriers on Saturday, which was seen by Reuters, the International Air Transport Association said the executive order signed by Mr Trump on Friday caught the commercial aviation industry off guard.
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“Much of this development has come over the weekend and at a time when IATA’s Facilitation team has been on duty travel,” the email said.
“Unfortunately, our response has been slower than we would have preferred. A number (of questions) have yet to be resolved.”
Independent aviation consultant John Strickland said the situation created confusion and “operational headaches” for the world’s airlines.
“I cannot think of anything comparable,” he told Reuters.
Many travellers were pulled off flights at airports outside the US and others were detained at American airports, sparking nationwide protests.
Australian dual citizens have spoken about how the sudden ban has left them unable to do business or even visit relatives in the US.
A big source of confusion for airlines and passengers was the lack of clarity over whether the ban extended to Green Card holders and dual nationals of the seven affected countries. US Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly has now confirmed Green Card holders were approved for entry.
Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways have updated their websites to advise passengers they would need a green card or diplomatic visa to enter the US.
Airlines are also bracing for a big loss in business as a result of the travel ban, Reuters reports. For instance, some 35,000 travellers from Iran visited the US in 2015, according to Department of Homeland Security figures.
