A country’s civil aviation authority then publishes the information to airlines.

Flights have been rereouted, redirected and cancelled to avoid Middle East airspace amid rising violence in the region.

“Airlines will plan based on the airspace available and then the most efficient routing, and if airspace is closed and the traditional flight paths are not available to them, they’ll plan elsewhere,” he said.

“But also, some airlines may have decided prior to that, to avoid the airspace … due to their own risk management.”

What does this mean for Australian travellers?

The war has also disrupted travel into the Middle East itself.

“So that will be an input cost that will no doubt be passed on to the travelling public.”

“So we are finding that, across the community, there is an increased level of anxiety and inquiry about what would happen.”

What should you do if you have a trip coming up?

Tonkin said travellers should not be concerned about their safety on commercial flights, with airlines making “deliberate choices” about safety and where they fly.

However, more aircraft taking different routes could lead to some congestion and disruption, he added.

“And be prepared for disruptions, because no doubt, there’ll be more change to come.”

“If you are feeling nervous about the future, bear in mind there are people that are impacted now and tomorrow and at 72 hours after that, we are prioritising the support for them as we go through that process.”