HONG KONG: The price of flights between Asia and Europe has soared after the closure of key Middle Eastern hubs due to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, with airline websites showing tickets on many popular routes booked out for days. Major Gulf hubs, including the world’s busiest international airport Dubai – which normally handles over 1,000 flights a day – remained closed for a fourth day on Tuesday, slashing capacity on popular routes like Australia to Europe, where Emirates and Qatar Airways normally have a high market share.
Australia’s Flight Centre Travel Group has experienced a 75% increase in calls to its stores and emergency assistance lines since the crisis began, with teams having to work around the clock to help customers.
Global Managing Director Andrew Stark said Australians were rebooking flights through alternative hubs in China, Singapore and the United States.
Charlotte Kennard and her father Richard were among those affected.
They were due to fly from Birmingham to Sydney via Dubai on Emirates on Sunday but were caught in the disruption.
Although the airline said it was “monitoring the situation” and would update them 24 hours before departure, none came and they arrived at the airport to find the flight cancelled, she said.
The 20-year-old said they later secured seats on a Singapore Airlines flight departing London on Tuesday night, paying 1,900 pounds (A$3,620) each for one-way tickets.
Kennard said tickets cost A$2,500 the previous night and were far higher than their original return fare of A$2,300.
“Living in Australia, we’re generally quite far from conflict and I think being closer to it provoked a new sense of fear and stress,” she said.
“Ultimately, we are just looking forward to seeing our home, family and dog again.”
Carriers that offer non-stop Asia-Europe flights are able to bypass the closed Middle Eastern airspace by flying north via the Caucasus then Afghanistan or south via Egypt then Saudi then Oman.
But it may add to flight times and fuel usage, driving up costs at a time when oil prices have spiked, in a move that could lead to higher fares over the longer term.
“Right now the whole of the Middle East is out of bounds, which is a high price for some airlines,” said Subhas Menon, head o
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