Prices for flights between Asia and Europe have soared after key Middle East hubs were shut down due to the US-Israeli war against Iran, with airline websites showing that tickets on many popular routes were sold out days in advance.
Major Gulf hubs, including the world’s busiest international airport, Dubai, which normally handles more than 1,000 flights a day, remained closed for a fourth straight day on Tuesday, reducing capacity on popular routes such as Australia-Europe, where Emirates and Qatar Airways normally have a large market share.
Australia’s Flight Center Travel Group has seen a 75 percent increase in calls to its branches and emergency lines since the crisis began, with teams working around the clock to help passengers, global director Andrew Stark said.
– Australians are very resilient and are already diverting flights to the UK/Europe via alternative routes through China, Singapore and other Asian hubs, as well as via North America through cities like Houston – he said.
Airlines offering direct Asia-Europe flights can bypass closed Middle Eastern airspace by flying north over the Caucasus to Afghanistan or south over Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Oman. But it can increase flight time and increase fuel consumption, which further raises costs at a time when oil prices have soared, and could lead to higher fares in the long run.
– Currently, the entire Middle East is inaccessible, which is a high price for some airlines – said Subhas Menon, head of the Asia-Pacific Airlines Association.
– If Europe can only be served at high costs, the profitability of airlines will be threatened. At the end of the day, the price we pay is connectivity – he added.
Alton Aviation Consultancy said airlines that offer direct flights or use alternative hubs outside the affected region, including Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines, could make short-term gains as passengers are diverted from Gulf airlines.
Cathay Pacific’s website showed no economy seats available on the Hong Kong-London route until March 11, when a one-way ticket costs at least $2,705.
For flights from Sydney to London, Qantas Airways is not offering economy fares on routes via Perth and Singapore until March 17, when one ticket is available for $2,220 one-way.
Thai Airways is seeing fully sold-out flights to Europe as European tourists choose direct routes instead of connecting in the Middle East, Thai Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.
A search on the Thai Airways website for the Bangkok-London trip showed that tickets are sold out until the end of next week and prices are high. A one-way economy ticket was available for $2,265 on March 15.
