By Adam Schrader, Director of Operations
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is having dire consequences for travel in some Asian countries, with global disruptions on the horizon as the war continues.
Riskline has monitored and reported on the Iran war and its impact on public safety in the Middle East region through travel alerts, numerous advisories and, more recently, a dedicated microsite about the conflict. From 28 February to 13 March, we published 1,924 Alerts on the war, exceeding levels seen during the 2020 pandemic.
Elsewhere, though, the conflict is having an acute impact on global energy supplies, particularly the price and availability of certain fuels in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. This week, Riskline published a travel advisory for multiple APAC countries about the impact of fuel availability on services and transport, including commercial aviation.
We will assess destinations using the following methodology and report those we evaluate as Medium Risk or higher.
Some destinations may not currently be experiencing fuel shortages, but they could be affected soon if the situation in the Gulf region does not improve in the coming weeks.
Impacted destinations
The list below indicates the destinations that we currently assess as being critically impacted, based on the above methodology. Although no country is currently rated as Extreme Risk, travel to destinations severely impacted by fuel shortages should be reconsidered, as these shortages could affect return flights at short notice. Countries at risk of rapid deterioration in the coming weeks are marked with an asterisk.
APAC
- High risk: Myanmar, Philippines*
- Medium risk: Bangladesh*, Cambodia*, Indonesia*, Sri Lanka*, Vietnam*
- Moderate risk: Australia*, Fiji, India, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand*, Pakistan*, Thailand, Vanuatu
Europe, the Middle East and Africa
- Medium risk: Somalia*
- Moderate risk: Botswana, Egypt*, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius*, South Africa, South Sudan*, Zimbabwe*, Uganda
Americas
While the effects of the war have been muted by comparison in the Americas, higher fuel costs and rising inflation will have negative effects on economic performance and, in turn, political stability.
Riskline will continue to monitor the war’s effects on travel within and beyond the Middle East region, including global fuel availability. Additional travel advisories will be published as impacts emerge in other regions. Our priority remains keeping travellers safe by providing reliable information and useful advice.
Learn more about the fuel and travel impacts of the conflict.