Eighty-seven tour groups consisting of 2,364 Taiwanese have been affected since war broke out in the Middle East on Saturday last week, leading to several countries shutting down their airspace, data released today by the Tourism Administration showed.
The figure includes 36 groups with 949 travelers who canceled their trips and received refunds and 51 groups with 1,415 travelers whose return flights to Taiwan were disrupted, the data showed.
Among those stranded abroad, five groups with 121 travelers have since boarded flights home, the administration said.
Photo: CNA
Travel agencies have been asked to help arrange return flights for those who are still overseas and to provide accommodation and meals while they await departure, it said.
Emirates usually flies two round trips a day between Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, while Etihad Airways flies one round trip a day between Abu Dhabi and Taoyuan airport.
All three services were canceled today, the airport's Web site said.
Airlines based in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had canceled most of their flights since the US and Israel attacked Iran, but service on a limited number of flights resumed on Monday.
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