Airfares between Asia and Europe have surged after major Middle Eastern aviation hubs closed due to the ongoing US–Israel war against Iran.
The disruption has significantly reduced flight capacity on some of the world’s busiest international routes, with airline websites showing many popular flights fully booked for several days.
Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international travel, remained closed for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday. The airport normally handles more than 1,000 flights daily and serves as a key transit hub for long-haul routes between Asia, Australia, and Europe.
The closure has particularly affected airlines such as Emirates and Qatar Airways, which dominate travel between Australia and Europe via the Middle East.
Australia’s Flight Centre Travel Group reported a 75% surge in customer calls since the crisis began as travelers scramble to change or rebook flights. According to Global Managing Director Andrew Stark, many passengers are now rerouting their journeys through alternative hubs including China, Singapore, and the United States.
Airlines are attempting to bypass the restricted Middle Eastern airspace by rerouting flights either north through the Caucasus and Afghanistan or south via Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
However, these detours increase flight times and fuel consumption, adding significant operational costs. Rising oil prices are also contributing to higher airline expenses, which may translate into long-term airfare increases.
Alternative Airlines See Higher Demand
Airlines that operate outside the Middle East are seeing increased demand as passengers seek alternative routes.
- Carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines are benefiting from the shift away from Gulf airlines.
- Flight searches show limited seat availability and sharply higher prices on Asia–Europe routes.
- Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong–London flights have no economy seats available until March 11, with a one-way ticket costing around HK$21,158 ($2,705).
- Qantas is not offering economy-class tickets on its usual Sydney–London routes until March 17, with available fares starting at A$3,129 ($2,220).
- Thai Airways reported fully booked Europe-bound flights, with one-way Bangkok–London tickets reaching 71,190 baht ($2,265) for mid-March departures.
- Chinese airlines have also raised fares significantly, with economy seats largely unavailable on near-term China–UK flights.
A return economy ticket from Beijing to London normally costs under 10,000 yuan ($1,452). However, the only available Air China option for Wednesday departures was business class priced at 50,490 yuan one-way.
With Middle Eastern hubs still closed and airlines forced to take longer routes, industry analysts expect limited seat availability and higher ticket prices to continue in the coming days.
