Business travel hasn’t stopped despite disruption across parts of the Middle East. Instead, Australian travellers are finding new ways to get where they need to go, says Corporate Traveller Australia.
The Flight Centre Travel Group company says it has kept most clients moving by quickly rerouting itineraries and tapping alternative flight paths.
This action has resulted in minimal cancellations, even as airlines adjust schedules across the region.
According to Corporate Traveller Global Managing Director Tom Walley, the response reflects a key reality about corporate travel: for many professionals, travel isn’t discretionary, but essential to doing business.
“Business travellers generally have to get to where they are going. If there’s a meeting on with a customer or an internal stakeholder, or business to win, they need to get there,” Walley stated.
Rather than cancelling trips outright, travel managers worked with clients to re-route journeys through unaffected regions.
Travellers heading to Europe or North America, for example, were often redirected through Asian or American hubs instead of Middle Eastern gateways.
Air connections through cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong have remained reliable, helping keep long-haul corporate itineraries on track.
“Travellers are booking through Asia in their droves. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur have become top choices for connecting flights to Europe and beyond, with seats filling fast,” Walley remarked.
Indeed, recent figures from FCTG business divisions, Corporate Traveller and FCM Travel, show bookings between Australia and Europe via Singapore Changi Airport jumped 38 per cent between 2 and 15 March 2026, compared with the previous fortnight.
Other FCTG business travel data revealed a 86 per cent rise in travel through China in the days after the US-Iran war broke out.
How it happens
He added that strong airline relationships and real-time updates enabled travel managers to respond quickly, often securing alternative routes before travellers even considered changing their plans.
“Getting seats on alternative routes takes quick action and flexibility. Our teams can access different booking systems, manage re-bookings, and handle ticketing changes, taking the pressure off companies and travellers.
“Even when regular plans are disrupted, there are more ways to get from A to B than people realise. With the right support, businesses aren’t stuck – they stay in motion.”
KARRYON UNPACKS: Disruptions come and go, but business travel rarely stops. This episode shows how quickly experienced travel managers can pivot routes and keep corporate clients moving when headlines suggest otherwise.
